Hindsight
by JaqueDark
Summary: Things go wrong. They go about as wrong as they possible could and it takes someone with hindsight to try and make things right. COMPLETE. REPOST.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"With the wisdom of hindsight"

Hindsight.

What would you do if you had the knowledge you have now? Would you change things? Would you try and make them better? Would you save the friends you lost? The people you cared about that were wrongly taken from you? Would you even try and stop the end of the world?

I have hindsight...

"Liz?" she looked up and saw Max standing there. She couldn't help but smile at his tired form; even now in his late forties he was still very handsome. His hair had more grey than brown and his eyes sported more wrinkles "It's time"

She closed her book and stood up, groaning as her muscles ached. She wasn't as young as she used to be either. She left the pen but cradled the journal, which was little more than toilet paper, she had in her arms. They'd been planning this for a long time; it'd taken them a long time to get here and both of them were finally ready.

It would be scary getting to the Granolith and she realised that both of them might fail, that both of them could be killed but that was a risk they were willing to take.

Years ago, when Earth still existed, Kivar tracked both of them down; he found them and took back the Granolith. He killed all their friends and family in front of them then brought both Max and Liz to Antar. He wanted Max because Max had the seal and he wanted Liz because she was the Queen, suitable to carry an heir.

When Max found out what Kivar planned to do to her he escaped his cell and went to her. Kivar didn't know what they did; she had a feeling if he knew then Liz would have been killed a long time ago. She was deeply saddened by what they both agreed to do, but she knew the alternative would have been far too much for her to bear.

Max took her hand and stood near the wall listening for any signs of noise. He lifted his hand, pressing it against the cold smooth stone and thinned its molecular structure so we could pass right through it.

It was quiet in the corridor, but they both knew that that wouldn't stay that way for long and they had to move quickly. She trailed after Max, still holding the journal in her arms.

They raced up the stairs then turned left; Max knew the way off by heart. He'd crept out several times trying to find the old relic; he'd discovered it a few weeks ago and they conspired making their plans. There were guards standing guard at the door and without a second thought he blasted them. The noise would certainly alert more guards but that didn't matter. The two of them quickly entered the chamber and he sealed the door, not that would do any good; all Antarians had powers here not just Max. It wouldn't take them long to get in and kill them.

Liz knelt down briefly putting her journal on the floor as she quickly shoved the crystal into the slot. Back when there had the resistance and Serina told her all about the different ways someone could time travel, if it were possible. If it weren't for her then they wouldn't be risking this.

"Liz!" Max cried desperately from the door

"Come! Quickly! It's ready!" she called back as she lifted her hand to the humming skin of the Granolith. At the last moment she remembered her journal, she pulled her hand away so she could grab it but it was too late. Liz was sucked inside the Granolith

"Max! My journal!" she cried as Max came running. He scooped down grabbing my journal and held it up, it was sucked inside and she grabbed onto it. She turned back to see a flash outside then Max went limp "MAX!"

"Liz" guards were pouring in and Max was laying on the floor reaching his arm up, she reached down for him but as soon as their fingertips got anywhere near each other there was a dizzying flash of light and everything went extremely bright it blinded her.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

"Liz! Liz you have to look at me!" she couldn't! It was too bright in here and she didn't want to open her eyes to see Max lying on the floor dying. In the end her eyes betrayed her and she looked up to see a boy staring at her; no that wasn't right. It wasn't a boy! It was Max.

"Max?" Liz whispered thickly then she felt warmth spreading through her. He fell towards her and she could smell him; that was definitely Max but he looked wrong... where was his grey hair and cute wrinkles she used to tease him about? What had happened to her husband?

"You're alright. You're alright now!"

"Keys! Now!" Max sat up and pulled his keys out of his pocket and tossed them to Michael. She felt her throat close up! Michael was standing there! She watched him reach up and grab a ketchup bottle

"You broke the bottle when you fell and spilt ketchup all over you. Please don't say anything" he said as he got up and ran for the door.

"Liz?" Maria bounced over to my side as she watched that Jennifer tourist squirm as Max rushed past her. What had happened? Liz held her uniform closed and watched Michael speed off; she tried to make sense of it all, all she could think of was that it had worked. She was back on earth and she was no longer forty three, she was sixteen again. It had worked and now she had the chance to save everyone.

"Oh My God!" gasped Maria. She pulled out a cloth and held it to her to wipe away the ketchup. She was sat down and a few minutes later an ambulance pulled up.

Liz was going into shock, she was sure of it. She sat there holding the cloth to her stomach as she tried to make sense of it all. Her mind was reeling and she was suffering from a strange version of time traveller's jet lag.

"Oh My God! Lizzie?" Liz looked up to see her dad coming into the CrashDown. She dropped the clothe, rose to her feet and rushed to him

"Dad!" she breathed as she felt tears come to her eyes. She held him tightly, she hadn't seen my father in years, not since Kivar had him killed in front of her "I can't believe you're really here!"

"Are you okay?"

"Yes" she lied "I'm fine. See its ketchup" she glanced at the paramedics to back her up. They were already packing their stuff away.

"She's fine" he said "Real lucky escape"

Just then the Sheriff walked in and for the second time that day Liz was glad to see someone she cared about. Her eyes filled with tears; she had been there with Kyle as he cradled his dad's head while he died

"Jim" she breathed, she couldn't help herself as she hurried over and pulled him into a hug. His scary expression changed to one of shock and surprise

"Uh... nice to see you're okay Miss Parker"

"Miss..." she began then clamped her mouth shut. Of course, she was Miss Parker, she was still sixteen and she hadn't gotten married to Max yet. "So what happened here?"

"There were two men arguing. One pulled a gun, it went off, I fell over knocking a bottle of ketchup it spilt all over me. I'm fine"

"You sure?" he asked he glanced at a table to his right and saw the Tabasco bottles, Jennifer decided to march forward

"There were two kids sitting over here when it happened, two boys about her age. And then one of them went-"

"Yeah, they were kids from school. One of them came over to see if I was okay, he must have gotten spooked by the ketchup. It must have looked like blood; he looked like he was going to pass out"

"He have a name?" asked Jim

"Mick or Mack... Mark... something like that. I didn't really know him that well" she lied; she didn't want him to hunt Max down like he did in the past. Liz wanted to approach Jim in private if possible; she wanted to do my best to spare him from what happened to the Jim in her time line "I really had a big shock. Is it okay if I go now...? Ji... uhh Sheriff?"

"Sure" he said "But I'm going to need a statement, would you be able to come down to the station tomorrow? Will you be feeling better by then?"

"I should be. Thank you" she said, her dad got his jacket from the back, and he came and draped it over her shoulders. She couldn't help but smile at him; she spotted Maria standing there looking confused, worried and upset. She would have to deal with her later; Liz was just glad that she was alive as well. She gestured with my eyes for her to go to the break room. She quietly walked into the back "I'm going to go upstairs to my room now dad"

"Okay. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine" she told him trying to reassure him with a smile

"Good, I gotta go call your mother" he wandered off to the counter and she chose that time to leave. Maria was standing, waiting in the back room for her. She pulled out her order pad and handed it to her; just like she remembered it was covered in blood. Her blood.

"Keep hold of this for me. Don't show it to anyone and I promise I'll explain everything tomorrow at school" Liz promised her "But for now... I need to get upstairs" she opened her mouth to protest but she hurried up the stairs to her room and shut the door.

She dropped dad's jacket on her bed, pulled off her uniform and saw that silver hand print on her stomach. She couldn't help but run her fingers over it; she felt the strange hum as soon as she touched it. She laid her uniform on the bed and concentrated on the hole, it repaired itself miraculously and she shoved it in her book bag.

She quickly got changed pulling on a grey jumper and jeans then went down the fire escape with one destination in mind.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Roswell was just like she remembered it. Liz couldn't help but feel fantastic as she rushed through the streets she hadn't walked in years. She tried to wrap my mind around what had happened; she had melded with her sixteen year old self. Years before little Serina was murdered as an enemy of the Antarian Alliance they talked about time travelling and the talked lengthily about how to avoid fading once a strand of time was altered. They figured that the only way to do that was to meld with something of that present time so they'd still be stuck in that line of time even after the strand that had come from had faded away. That must have been what had happened, she had no idea it would work when she set the Granolith to do this. She wasn't as smart as Serina was about quantum mechanics and the theory of time travel and she wasn't around anymore for Liz to ask.

She arrived at Max's house and quietly crept round the side to his window. Liz climbed inside and could hear Michael ranting to Isabel downstairs.

"Max" she whispered quietly, reaching out with her mind calling to him

"Max? Max! Where are you going?" it was so odd to hear Isabel's voice again. To Liz she'd been dead over thirteen years.

The door opened and Max was standing there looking confused. Isabel and Michael had trailed after him and seemed surprised and outraged that Liz was there. Michael put his hand up ready to blast her; he was the same as she remembered him; always willing to protect his family. She felt her eyes fill with tears as she remembered how he fell trying to shield his family from Kivar. It had been a god damn sorry day on Earth when Michael failed and Maria and their children were killed before his dying eyes. Kivar, damn you for destroying a man she loved and respected as a brother and a friend.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Michael demanded, she couldn't hold her tears as soon as she heard his voice. Liz pressed a hand over her mouth to control herself but her weariness got the better of her

"Liz?" whispered Max

"Oh God Max!" she sobbed, her legs gave out and he reached forward to catch her. Michael came into the room further and Isabel shut the door.

Max set her down on his bed and Michael paced for a few minutes. Isabel remained quiet and sat down in the chair. Michael finally stopped pacing and pointed at Liz

"She shouldn't be here!" he hissed "She'll bring Valenti and the Army right to us! They'll lock us up like the other aliens and cut us up into little pieces!"

"Michael! Calm down!" Max ordered, Liz saw him look at Isabel; she knew that getting caught by alien hunters and the Special Unit was Isabel's biggest fear

"No one's coming to look for you" she announced

"Yeah and how do you know that?" Michael sneered

"Because I'm in this as much as you are. If they come to take you away then they take me away too"

"You're not one of us!" Isabel cried out of fear "You don't know what it's like!"

"Oh don't I? You have no idea what it's like to be me! To have seen the things I've seen!"

"What are you talking about?" she shouted back at her "You have no right coming in here pretending that you know us! That you have an idea what we're going through! Lying to your parents! Lying to everyone! Being completely on your own-" she couldn't help it, her hand reached out and slapped her hard just to shut her up

"You know nothing" Liz said coldly "You have no right. Don't you dare ever tell me that I don't know what it's like. Do you have any idea what it's like to watch your family and friends tortured in front of your eyes? Do you have any idea what it's like to have an insane tyrant destroy the sun because he was punishing your existence? Do you have an idea what it's like to be the only human left in the universe? The last of your kind?" the words spilled out. She had no control over it, Liz knew she shouldn't have but she'd been through too much "Do you have any idea what it's like to beg the man you love to destroy your womb so that you don't have to go through the pain of having Kivar take away your children and threaten their lives just so he can get what he wants? No? Then don't you dare say anything to me you spoilt princess!"

"Liz?" whispered Max. She turned to see Max sitting there looking shocked, recognition was slowly filling his eyes

"I'm sorry Max" she said suddenly as she made a break for the window "I shouldn't have come here. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I'll see you tomorrow!" he jumped up and grabbed her arm. His face was inches from hers and she could feel the hum building between them

"Are you okay Liz?" he whispered

"I... no Max I'm not" she replied then pulled her arm away from his, climbed out the window and hurried away as fast as she could. Liz couldn't believe she was running away from Max to try and make herself feel better.

*

Liz got home and climbed up the fire escape ladder to find Maria sitting on her bed with Liz's order pad in her lap

"I thought about calling but I had a feeling you'd avoid me until tomorrow" she said quietly "What really happened Liz?"

She came and sat down next to her and took the order pad from her hand and looked at it. Liz stared at it for the longest time

"I was shot Maria" she whispered. In all these long years she'd never truly dealt with the fear of being so close to dying; her mind suddenly started running through all the what ifs "Max healed me. He saved my life"

"But how?" she urged desperate for her friend to tell her

"We live in Roswell. You know how" she said finally as she looked up at her watching for her reaction

"You mean to tell me that... Max is an... an-alien?" she rolled her eyes and she saw the same reaction she saw in herself all those years ago when Liz confronted Max in the band room. She said nothing and Maria fell quiet "Liz? An alien?"

"I know it's scary. But it's okay, Max saved my life. They're not going to hurt you Maria"

"They?" she cried rising from the bed "How many aliens are there?"

"Michael and Isabel..."

"My god! I think I'm going to be sick"

"Maria" she called to her quietly "You've known me for year's right. Trust me... you shouldn't be scared. It's going to be okay... just trust me. I'm gonna make it all okay"

"Liz?" she whispered as she came to kneel in front of her. She stared at her best friend before jumping up and backing away "Who are you? You're not Liz!" she said suddenly. Liz felt tears well up in her eyes

"I could never keep anything from you. I am Liz, Maria, just... come and sit down and I'll tell you everything"

She tentatively perched on the window ledge away from her and she was grateful for her distance; that meant she was on the path to become the woman Liz had known before she fell at Kivar's hand.

"I know this will be scary and you might not believe me but everything I'm about to tell you is true. Max, Michael and Isabel come from a planet called Antar; they don't know this yet though. I know all this because I come from the future. There is a machine called the Granolith and it allows time travel. I came here from the future to change my present; a lot of bad things happened because I was healed. I've come back to stop those bad things from happening"

"What bad things?" she whispered, she'd remained silent for the majority

"A few months after I was healed Max was captured by the FBI Special Unit. Pierce tortured him because he was different; all of us rescued Max and we took down the agents. We all managed to escape and we ended up at the UFO Centre. There was a shoot out between Jim and Pierce"

"Wait, Jim?"

"Sheriff Valenti" she replied before continuing "Michael saved Jim's life but he killed Pierce. Kyle had been hiding in the background and he'd gotten shot. Max healed him and he became part of the group. Everything went as quiet as could be; we got someone to pose as Pierce and take down the unit. Then one night... Alex uhh... he... Jim came and told us there'd been an accident. You were the first one he told. Alex was killed by an alien; she used her powers on him to decode a book which explained how to go home to Antar. She mindwarped him until there was nothing left of his mind and it killed him. She made it look like suicide. We didn't find out until they were almost leaving; she was taking Max, Michael and Isabel back with her to Antar. We stopped them and... God, she was pregnant so Max let her go"

"Pregnant?" Maria whispered as her hand rose to her throat "With Alex's...?"

"No" she shook my head "With Max's baby. He let her go, he couldn't kill her because he'd kill his son too. He spent the next year trying to find any means possible to save his son; our relationship was pretty much on the rocks. Yeah... Max and I. Just when he was starting to accept that there was nothing he could do Tess came back. She'd had the baby and we were running around trying to keep her and baby Zan alive. In order to save her son she handed herself in to the Army then blew up the base. Max's son went to live with him but the baby was human so Max gave him up for adoption so he could have a normal life. With Tess destroying the base the FBI clocked onto us again; they were going to kill Max, Michael, Isabel and me so we left. We went into hiding on Graduation, you and Kyle came with us. Max and I got married and we travelled around the states doing good and avoiding the law for ten years. You and Michael got married and had twins and then the First Wave came. Kivar... that's Max's enemy on their home planet sent a squadron of aliens to earth, they wiped out all of Roswell except our parents. They held them hostage so we'd return; they were tortured and killed before our eyes. We fought back as best we could... Kyle was killed first... then Isabel. Michael died trying to shield you and the twins; he gave his life trying to spare yours and when he fell he had to watch with his last few breaths Kivar kill you three. So we gave up, Max and me we surrendered. Kivar took us away to Antar... he wanted Max for the seal he carried and he wanted me so that I would create the heir to the throne of Antar"  
"Wait... I don't understand" she whispered, Liz looked up and saw tears streaming down her face "Seal? Throne of Antar?"

"Max was king. Max isn't just an alien, he's the king of them on his home world. He was sent here for protection against Kivar. When we discovered what Kivar planned to do I begged Max to destroy my ovaries; I took the coward's way out. But I didn't want to go through the pain of having a child and losing him or her to Kivar. To punish us he destroyed Earth's sun so that the remaining people who survived on Earth would know what it was like to be in the dark then when he found out that Max didn't carry the seal anymore he had the earth imploded. After that he was going to publicly execute us as traitors to Antar. We discovered that Kivar had the Granolith and we plotted deep in the dungeons were he'd forgotten about us. I was the only one who managed to escape... Max... my Max was killed. We'd fixed the Granolith so that in order for me to make the changes I needed to I would be tied to the Liz in this time line, even if I alter things I won't disappear"

"What happened to Liz from this line?"

"We're one person. I have all her memories... it's like she's exactly the same but she's got all the answers. It seems odd talking about myself" she couldn't help but smile

"Liz... I dunno it seems all unbelievable... especially the idea of me and Michael but I..."

"I could show you" she said interrupting her "When Max healed me he changed me. I have powers now Maria... I could start a connection with you and show you everything"

"Don't" she said with a shake of her head "You already told me and as farfetched as it is I believe you. I know Max did something to you and I know you... you'd never make up something like this" she came and sat down next to her. Liz lifted up her order pad waving her hand over it removing the blood. She blinked then shook her head "It's going to be really freaky knowing and seeing you do things like that... so me and Michael had kids huh? What did we call them?"

"Jacob and Serina" she replied "They were beautiful kids Maria... Serina was really clever for her age. I wouldn't be here know without her knowledge... Before the First Wave we discovered she was even smarter than Steven Hawking. She was only ten"

"Wow" she breathed "And Jacob?"

"He inherited his dad's art skills. He could paint anything with the most amazing accuracy... some of his paintings predicted the future; saved our butts a couple of times while we were on the road"

The was a knock at the door, we both turned to see Jeff Parker peek his head in. He smiled warmly before coming in

"There you are. Maria... your mom called, she's pitching a fit that you're not home yet and that tonight is a school night"

"Okay... I guess I better get going.... I'll see you at school tomorrow" she followed Liz's dad to the door before she paused, she had her back to Liz as she said it "And Liz... thank you for coming back"

"Any time Maria, any time" she replied then she left shutting the door behind her.

Liz sank down on the bed with a heavy sigh and tossed the order pad to the floor. She wasn't sure what to do next; she figured that all the people who knew about the aliens in her time line should know about them now. She decided that Jim should be the first to find out, once she'd explain then he wouldn't be a loose card. She sighed once more and told herself that she'd go to him tomorrow after school.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

It felt incredibly strange to be walking the halls of West Roswell once more, especially as a sixteen year old student, but she loved the simplicity of it all. The most these kids had to worry about was bad grades and failing a class... but Liz, she had the weight of two worlds resting on her shoulders and she was definitely feeling the strain.

Liz saw Max wandering down the hall and she quickly rushed over to him before she stopped herself from hugging him. For a second he looked like her Max, her husband. It was hard for her seeing him so young

"Max, can I talk to you?" she asked him, they had some time before the bell rang.

"Sure, what's wrong?" he replied

"Just come with me" she grabbed his hand, unable to stop herself from linking fingers with him and dragged him to the band room. She stopped when she spotted Kyle banging away on the drums and almost cursed herself for forgetting about him. "Max, could you just give me a minute alone with Kyle?"

"Sure... I'll just wait outside" he said, looking sad and hurt. He disappeared and she was left alone with Kyle

"Hey" he grinned as he took off his glasses "How are you? You must be pretty shaken up"

"Oh... the gun. No I'm fine Kyle" she told him then pulled a sharp breathe in for what she was about to do "Kyle, I can't see you anymore. There's really a lot going on with me at the moment... after the Crash Festival tonight I have some things that I need to tell you and your father. But I can't be with you"

"You're breaking up with me?"

"Trust me you'll get over it. There's a really pretty girl waiting for you... it's just not me" she said, he looked hurt

"Is it Max? Are you leaving me for Max?"

"Yes" she replied simply

"I'll kill him!" he hissed making a move towards the door, Liz held up her hand taking a step back from him

"You do anything to hurt my husband and I'll kill you!" she replied, his eyes blinked when he saw my hand glowing

"Liz? Your hand!" he gasped

"Leave Max alone Kyle" she ordered him as she dropped her hand, thank fully she'd stepped into a patch of light and she could just pass it off as sunlight catching her ring.

"Fine" he bit out then stalked moodily from the room. Max came in a few minutes after Kyle had gone and looked deeply confused

"So... you and the Sheriff's son huh?" he tried to make conversation as he set his bag down on the desk. She lifted her shirt showing him the hand print

"I tried to get rid of it but it won't come off. I need you to remove it before anyone sees" she told him, his face went pale. He walked over slowly and with a flick of the wrist it vanished. Liz dropped her shirt and made the mistake of locking eyes with him; they were dark with desire. She had forgot how innocent Max used to be "You shouldn't look at me like that" she whispered, he looked away a blush rising to his cheeks

"Because of you and Kyle?"

"No. There isn't me and Kyle, I'm in love with someone else" she confessed "I've loved him for a very long time. I'd give my life for him and he's the man I'm going to spend the rest of my life with"

"W-Who is it?" he whispered looking extremely heartbroken. She took a few tentative steps towards him and took his hand and brought it up to her face

"It's you Max" she told him, she couldn't help herself as she leaned up to kiss him, he was so surprised that he held himself still then began to kiss back. It was just like always... she saw the stars, she flew through space and fell all the way back down to earth "I love you. I always have"

"Liz... you love me?" he whispered and she nodded "You... I saw things"

"Flashes" she stated with another nod, slowly becoming fearful of what he saw "What did you see?"

"I saw... you're like me. You're alien like me" he looked horrified "But you're human"

"I was human Max... a long time ago"

"What's going on?" he asked "Yesterday you said that you'd been through a lot. You practically yelled at Isabel"

"I know, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that to her. She was scared"

"But what you said" he stressed "You said you begged the man you loved to destroy... you asked me to do that didn't you? How come you have all this knowledge? Who are you?"

"I'm Liz Evans. The girl who got shot and healed by an alien king... a girl who fell in love with that alien king and watched her entire world be destroyed. I came back Max. I came back so the bad things wouldn't happen"

"How?"

"The Granolith" she explained "You haven't found it yet. You wouldn't have found it for another year if I hadn't come back. It's hidden behind your pods" the bell chose that moment to ring and she sighed "Is it okay if I come round later? I'll tell you everything"

"Yes" he said looking relieved, she gathered her things up to go "Liz, wait... you said... well uhh... we got married right? You and me? That's why you have my last name?"

"Yes Max, we got married. We got married when we were nineteen after we fled Roswell... we were married for twenty four years before I came back to Earth. To this time"

"Wow... twenty four years" he whispered as she left the room. He couldn't believe he'd had the chance to be married to Liz Parker for all that time. He was desperate to know more and ended up watching the clock all day waiting for the time when he could ask more about the future.

*

She looked round trying to spot anyone she recognised. During the three years when there was a resistance to the Antarian forces invading Earth under the order of Kivar there had been loads of data amassed on every Antarian soldier. Kal Langley had been invaluable gathering info and especially pictures of them. She's memorised each and every single face so she'd know her enemy.

As soon as the bell rang for lunch, Liz gathered her things and bolted out of the room to the phones. She knew the number off by heart and prepared herself for what she was about to deal with

"Hello?" came the rough accent

"Nlkirol" she said his real name in Antarian

"Who the fuck is this? How did you get this number?"

"I'm calling on behalf of Zan"

"Who is this?" he demanded loudly now

"My name is Liz. I know everything Nlkirol" she whispered "I know about the other shapeshifter and his deal with Kivar. I need you to come to Roswell to protect the Royals"

"And how do you know all this Liz?" he asked calmly, his tone giving away his temper "Why should I listen to you? I don't know how you found out what you know but rest assured you'd be dead before the sun sets"

"Oh I don't doubt that you would do that if I were a threat to the Antarian throne" she agreed "But I think you should listen to me. You're bound to me"

"Lady, you're delusional"

"That I may be Nlkirol but I carry the Third Seal" she explained and the line went quiet for a moment before he breathed heavily into the phone

"Well shit" he said "When did this happen? Zan's only sixteen, please tell me that he didn't sleep with some random hussy. I assume since you know all about me and the other shapeshifter you know of Ava"

"Yes I know of her and I know that she's nothing more than a pawn, Kivar's pawn. Max would never agree for her to be his bride. Now that we've got all the formalities out of the way I need you to come to Roswell. You must be aware of the recent incident that Max was involved in"

"Yes, the shooting"

"Well it's not just come to your attention. You remember the Special Unit don't you?" she asked and was met with silence "Well they're going to be taking a special interest in Max. I need you to keep that from happening, they're going to need a protector and the other one is in Kivar's pocket. I'm also going to need your help taking out Copper Summit"

"Yes" he laughed roughly "You really are delusional! You must be one gutsy little spitfire if you're thinking of taking on Nicholas! How old are you?"

"My age isn't in question here. I need to remove the Skins here on Earth, they're reporting back to Kivar and I need to cut off their flow of information. We'll be okay as long as they don't learn that we have the Granolith"

"You know of the Granolith" he went quiet, he sounded like he was scared "Does the king know of it?"

"Not yet but it's only a matter of time. I need you to come to Roswell... I want you to protect the rest of the Royal Four as best as you can while I'm away"

"Away?" he inquired "Away were?"

"I need you to look after them while I'm taking down Copper Summit"

"There's no one in hell I'm letting some girl carrying the Third Seal just go wandering into the Skins encampment. If you want me to come to Roswell then you wait for me to get there before you go wandering off!"

"Fine" she bit out "Get here as soon as you can" then she hung up. It had taken a lot for her to call him, she knew he'd be unbearable but he'd been vital in her past. Langley had saved their butts countless times and he'd given his life to protect both of them from being killed.

She looked round and the world seemed a lot darker and colder than she ever remembered it. She sighed deeply then spotted Isabel walking proudly through the halls.

"Vilandra" she whispered; Liz knew that she had to talk to her. There was going to be a lot of doubt and fear on Isabel's part when she discovered about her little folly in her past life. She crossed her path stopping the taller girl in her tracks "Isabel, I need to talk to you"

"Well tough luck because I'm not in the mood to deal with a peon like you" she said coldly, she was putting up a front against the harsh and nasty words Liz had pretty much yelled at her yesterday. She continued on her way but froze when she heard Liz plainly call down the hall after her

"I know about Vilandra" she shouted. Isabel slowly turned round and Liz could see the fear in her eyes. Isabel hurried her into an empty class room and shut the door

"Who is she? Why does that name sound so familiar?" she whispered almost begging

"You know Isabel. You know who Vilandra is... just think. You know what she did"

"No" she shook her head

"Yes. You have to hear it, Isabel, and it's better than you hear the truth from me. I'm not going to twist it about to achieve my own ends"

"No!" Isabel repeated adamantly

"You betrayed Zan. You let Kivar into the city!"

"NO!" she roared

"But he convinced you that he wanted peace. As soon as he was in he killed everyone. It wasn't your fault Isabel. Zan's death wasn't your fault; now listen to me. No matter what you hear or whatever anyone tells you. I want you to know that you weren't responsible and history is different this time. I believe in you"

"How can you say that? After what you just told me! You know I betrayed him! How can you trust me when I could do that again?"

"Because I know you're not Vilandra, you're Isabel Evans. The girl who would give her life trying to save her friends and family... that kind of sacrifice... Isabel... that is something that Vilandra could never achieve. That is why I believe in you"

"You know more about all this than you're letting on, don't you?" she asked the smaller girl rhetorically

"Yes I do" she answered "I'm..."

"You belong to Max" Isabel whispered interrupting her "Whoever you are I know you belong to him. You're doing this for him aren't you?"

"Yes" Liz said finally "I come from a world that was destroyed. I was the last of my kind... it's wicked of me, you know, I came back to stop my world from being destroyed because he asked me to. I didn't come back to save the lives of all the people who were killed, I came back because he asked me to. I've been through so much, I just want my happy ending"

"Why do you look like Liz Parker? What did you do with the real Liz?"

"I am Liz. I'm in love with your brother Isabel... in the future we're sisters in law"

"You and Max got married" she gasped, she was shocked "Somehow I'm not surprised. So... what was I like in the future?"

"Well after you lost Alex... you were very temperamental. You graduated early and you were going to leave but Max made you stay, then you met Jesse. You got married to him"

"Alex? Jesse?" she inquired

"Jesse was someone who worked in your dad's office. Alex... you loved him, he knew about you, and he loved you. You let him in and he was killed... that really broke you up"

"Have I met him yet? This Alex?"

"Yeah... you have. It's Alex Whitman" she told her and Isabel's eyes went wide

"Alex Whitman knows I'm an alien!"

"Not yet. As soon as Kal gets here I'm going to get everyone together and tell them"

"Wait... who the hell is everyone and who is Kal?"

"Kal is one of your protectors and everyone is all the people I trusted in the future. I'm going to show everyone what I know and they'll trust me"

"Yes but who are they?"

"You, Michael, Max, Maria, Alex, Kyle Valenti, Jim Valenti and me"

"You mean the Sheriff?! You can't tell him! He'll send us away!"

"No he won't Isabel. Jim died saving me, you and Kyle, it was a surprise attack and he shielded the three of us. You blasted the skin and Kyle held him in his arms as he died; there was nothing I could do for him. I can't heal like Max can"

"He died trying to save me?" she repeated "But he's the sheriff, he's going to lock us up. He's going to come after us and get us!"

"No Isabel... he's not. I trust him. With my life" the bell rang signalling the end of lunch. She sighed deeply "We'll talk more later..."

"Liz... wait! What you said, about you not being able to heal like Max can..."

"I'm like you now Isabel. Max changed me, I have powers... I became alien" she whispered. Isabel looked horrified but the other girl ignored it and left the room.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Liz was working quickly through the homework she'd been given during the day as she sat in her parent's cafe. Her mind was focused on all the little memories she had of those three years before they went on the run. She tried to remember everything so she could use it to her advantage.

She stopped mid sentence of what she was writing and looked up just as the doors opened and she saw that familiar bald man swaggering into the cafe wearing a fine dark suit and looking every bit intimidating as she remembered him to be.

He looked around as if he was trying to spot someone who would stand out, someone who was three feet tall and green, but he couldn't see anyone. His eyes swept the room and he couldn't even sense the girl carrying the Third Seal. Liz watched him survey the room, careful to keep her seal dampened, she could see him getting anxious so she decided to finally reveal herself. She closed her book and rose to her feet getting his attention by letting her seal flow through her fully.

Langley's eyes snapped over to a small brown haired girl as soon as he felt that familiar energy rolling through the room. He had to double check for a moment because even though he was sensing the energy of the Third Seal coming from the girl there was no doubt in his mind that she was strong enough to be queen; she looked so tiny and timid.

He held himself tall as he walked over and slid into the booth. She glared at him before sitting back down in her seat opposite him

"Nlkirol..." she greeted him

"Your highness... or do you prefer Liz Parker?"

"You looked into my background" she said with a knowing smile, it was so like him, she thought

"Of course I did. I wanted to know how on Earth Zan would be foolish enough to pass on the Third Seal to some would be girl"

"And did you find that out?" she inquired with a smirk

"No" he snarled looking away "I didn't. I have no idea how you came to have the Third Seal. It's not impossible that you got it when he healed you... but seals aren't passed on like that. So... tell me then Miss Parker. How is it that you came to carry the seal and how on Earth did you become my Queen?"

"Oh those details are not important. All that matters now is that I have it and I'm ensuring the safety of my family"

"The Royal Four are hidden in this small town. Why would their safety need ensuring? If you're worried about the skins then they don't know where they are"

"The skins are one of my worries, well more specifically Nicholas, but also the other shapeshifter and Ava the former bride"

"Who are you?" he demanded loudly bringing the cafe to a standstill with his shouting. He glared around the room and the customers got back to eating their meals every so often sparing a glance toward their booth "How do you know so much? You know Ava was Zan's bride but not his Queen"

"Look... that information is inconsequential. It doesn't matter... I am doing what I need to do to ensure the safety of my family and I do not mean just Max, Michael and Isabel. I mean all of my family"

"Your parents?" he asked, Liz shook her head

"I do hope by protecting my family my parents are saved but no, they're no longer my immediate family. I'm talking about Max, my husband, Michael, my brother in law, Isabel, my sister in law, Alex, Isabel's husband, Maria, Michael's wife and Kyle my closest friend and brother. Things are going to happen and I want you to help me to stop them happening. The head of the Special Unit will come to investigate the shooting and he'll find an opportunity to take Max so he can study him. I want Daniel Pierce eliminated, I know you've worked hard all these years to develop human senses and I know you'll hate me for doing this but I'm ordering you to kill him and take his place then take apart the special unit piece by piece until they're no longer a threat"

"Fine" he growled "Any other orders your highness?"

"I want you to find a way for you to take a certain interest in Alex Whitman. You have a few months before he needs to be safely out of Roswell. But by the time Ava and Kivar's tool turn up I want Alex safely out of the picture"

"What's so important about this Alex guy?" he asked as he leaned arrogantly back in the booth

"He got Vilandra to fall in love with him" she said casually, Langley's eyes went wide behind his glasses and he leaned forward in disbelieve

"WHAT!" he gasped, Liz couldn't help but smirk at his reaction

"I know she'll come to love him more than anything in this world or the next. I need him to be protected and when the time comes I want you to take him under your wing and teach him anything and everything about protecting himself"

"I take it he's human"

"Yes he is. But I need you to help him unlock his potential as an advanced human; teach him how to control his mind from people who would try and get in there, mess about and control him"

"You mean Ava"

"Yes I mean Ava" she said bitterly "If I thought that he'd be okay if she were removed from the picture I'd kill her as soon as she set foot in Roswell. But there is the fact of the other shapeshifter, he'd just do what she would and use him to decode their instruction manual hidden in the Library"

"Do you want me to get it before she finds it?"

"Yes I do. I want you to get it and bring it to me"

"Can I ask what you're going to do with it?" Langley asked cautiously, he was amazed by the knowledge this human had

"I'm going to destroy it" she replied calmly "They don't need it, hell they won't even be able to read it and I don't want Isabel or Tess pregnant by Michael or Max"

"Tess?"

"Ava. That's her name now" she replied cursing herself for that slip "Anyway her name doesn't matter. I want you to get the book and bring it to me at the reservoir tomorrow after school"

"School?" he chuckled "How old are you"

"I appear sixteen"

"Appear..." he lost his smile and leaned back away from her. Something suddenly felt wrong "Who are you?"

"Queen Elizabeth Evans... I'm forty three years old and I came back from ten years after Kivar destroyed Earth killing everyone and everything"

"How? How is that possible?"

"A very clever little girl showed me that the Granolith could be modified as a time machine" she said simply

"The Granolith? You modified one of the greatest energy sources in the entire universe to come back in time? That's a big no no!"

"A big no no?" she repeated "I don't care about the right or wrong thing. I've been through too much and I want to live. I want to live with my family, here on Earth. Not as the last of my kind, not as Kivar's prisoner and certainly not on another planet where everyone despises my very existence!" Liz breathed as tears spilled down her face

"That wanna-be king really did a number on you didn't he?"

"More than you can ever know" she said. He nodded feeling his compassionate side coming out, from one soldier fighting the cause to another. Kal slid his hand over hers

"Don't worry, your highness, I'm here for you" he said and she smiled wiping her tears away. Jeff Parker watched from behind the counter the strange encounter his daughter was having with a strange, older bald man that looked distinctly familiar.

"Thank you" she said "Look you better go. We'll talk more tomorrow, as well as you getting me that book I'm going to introduce you to everyone. But for now there's some people I have to go talk to" she said as she gathered up her things. He rose when she did and nodded

"It'll be okay"

"I hope that it will be" she said as she watched him go before disappearing into the back.

*

Liz looked down at the costume she had planned to wear but somehow it just didn't seem appropriate. She was an alien now, for all intensive purposes, dressing up and pretending to be something she was already just seemed a little silly. Besides, she thought as she stared at it, there was all that crap she went through and celebrating monsters like Kivar was definitely the last thing she wanted.

She got changed into stuff she would have worn had she'd been back in her time line. She altered her clothes so they matched that of what she wore during the resistance; which was tight black jeans, a tight purple top and heavy biker boots. Liz glanced in the mirror and with a flick of her wrist her hair was short and feathered out just like she used to have it, she continued to stare into the mirror and her eyes slowly turned completely black showing off her alien side.

"Hey" she turned to see her dad standing there; she couldn't help but glare at him. She hated when people crept up on her, normally it meant someone trying to kill her and she realised just how out of practice she was "Cool costume... I thought you were going to go as a Klingon or something?"

"No... I'm going as an Antarian"

"Antarian?" he inquired

"From cocoon. They were Antarians, looked like everyone else... but I figured this Antarian is much cooler, like the Queen or something" she explained, it seemed weak but she wanted to be herself as much as possible.

"Cool... well are you going to wait for Kyle or are you meeting him there?" he asked then the doorbell rang

"That'll be Maria. I'm seeing Kyle after" she explained, she didn't really want to tell her dad that she'd broken up with Kyle; if she did she had a feeling there would be a lot more questions and that was something she didn't really need right now.

"Okay" he said before disappearing to let Maria in. She sank down on her bed, her adrenaline had been pumping as soon as her dad had surprised her and now she was feeling a little jumpy and ill

"Hey Liz!" Maria burst into the room wearing a strange green outfit and carrying a green wig "Wow! That's a cool costume! Oh and whoa! Look at your eyes! Where did you get those contacts?"

"No contacts Maria. These are my eyes" she whispered "I like your costume, do you need help putting your wig on?"

"Me? Nope! Watch!" she pulled a cloth hair band out of her pocket and swept her short fringe back with it then carefully pulled the wig on.

"You're a pro. Always were when it came to disguises! Remember when we were on the road and you scared the hell out of Michael by dying your hair black...?" Liz laughed then trailed off when Maria was staring at her with wide eyes "Oh. Oh sorry"

Maria closed her eyes then shook her head sending her green hair flying lightly around her face, she sat down

"It's okay... you have those memories don't you. From the future, well I guess it's your past, but you have them don't you. Tell me what happened; did I really dye my hair black?" she asked with an encouraging smile that made Liz smile too

"We'd been on the road for a year and we'd had a close call. We all needed to change out appearance, we were heading up into Canada to lay low and we'd made a pit stop. Kyle changed his hair from brown to red, Isabel went red too, Michael went unbelievably blonde and you came out of the bathroom and your hair was black. You looked so ridiculous, you walked up to Michael and hugged him and he had no idea who you were. He shouted at you for being some crazy psycho goth mental patient who'd escaped from the loony bin. You smacked him so hard he started crying!" Maria couldn't help but laugh, as extreme as it sounded it still sounded like her.

"What colour did you change your hair to?" she couldn't help but ask her longest friend

"Oh me? I went blonde same as Michael" Liz replied and Maria's eyes went wide again with disbelief

"I so cannot picture you as a blonde!" she laughed, Liz smirked and slowly reached up to touch a strand of her hair. It slowly turned blond until she was sitting there with nice soft blonde hair "Oh... ah! That is so cool!" she watched as Liz shook her hair out and it turned back to brown "Those powers are pretty cool. Still a little weird seeing you with them though"

"Don't worry you get used to it" she stated then rose to her feet "Wanna get going?"

"Sure. Let's go! Alex is waiting and I'm sure Kyle is dying to drool over your extremely hot costume" she said. Liz sighed mentally but said nothing, she would explain in the car on the way.

Liz watched the scenery fly past her as she sat in the car; it seemed so strange to be here on Earth after living in a future where it hadn't existed in ten long years.

"Hey, are you okay?" Maria asked glancing at her best friend, she had no idea what reminiscing on Liz's memories would to her

"Yeah... I was just thinking about how strange it is being here on Earth again" she explained "I was thirty three when it was destroyed" Maria remained silent. She knew that Liz trusted and believed in the aliens but the Earth was destroyed; that wasn't good. Anything that had the power to destroy a planet, to kill billions of innocent people without a second thought shouldn't be trusted.

"It was the aliens that destroyed Earth wasn't it?"

"Yeah" Liz replied still staring out the window

"Well then it's simple. We get rid of the aliens"

"They're not here yet Maria" she finally turned to look at her friend

"No I mean we get rid of the ones that are here. Liz, they're the reason the Earth was destroyed. If we get rid of them then the Earth won't be destroyed"

"No!" she cried out of anger and disbelief "Do you even know what you're saying? Hand Max, Isabel and Michael over to Kivar?"

"Hell if it saves Earth I'm all for it" she said coldly, Liz shook her head fiercely

"That's just not an option. Besides, Michael is going to be the father of your children! The children you have together are going to be the two single most smartest people on the planet. Your daughter at the age of ten can figure out quantum mechanics like it were jigsaw puzzles! Turn Michael in then you won't have Serina or Jacob"

"They were killed weren't they? Me and my children were killed because of Michael. I'd rather get rid of him now while I have the chance"

"But then they won't be born"

"I'd have them with someone else. Sure they wouldn't be the smartest the world has ever seen but at least they'd be alive"

"No Maria. That isn't how it works. We can't turn them in! Besides Kivar wouldn't settle with just them, he's not like that. He'd have the Earth destroyed just to punish them"

"But..."

"Listen to me. No. It isn't going to happen, I'm not going to let you do something like that. Tomorrow I'm holding a meeting and everyone is going to be there, I'm going to show you all my past whether you want to see it or not. I'm going to make you all understand that it's better if we're together. That way we can have a hope of stopping Kivar; things got bad because we were separated when the last attacks came. We just fell apart after Jim, Isabel and Kyle were killed and after that we weren't as strong. But this time it'll be different, I'll make sure of it! Maria, promise me that you won't try and turn them in somehow. Because... if you do then you'll be turning me in too. I'm just as alien as they are now"

"No Liz!" she cried but Liz shook her head "You're not like them! They're evil!"

"Yes I am. You saw what I did with my hair... it's not bad or evil Maria. They're just trying to live their lives. Do you really think they want to be killed? They may be aliens but Earth is their home, do you think they want it destroyed any more than you do? I know you're scared..."

"Pfft! Understatement!" Maria snorted which made Liz chuckle

"But it'll be okay. As long as we stick together and... don't turn them in. We'll be fine"

"Can you really promise that?"

"If you promise not to turn them in then yes I can. I promise that it'll all be okay" Liz assured her, even though she promised her long time friend her mind was screaming at her not to make such a promise because even she didn't know if it would be okay.

They arrived at the crash festival and everyone was here. She was amazed to see such a turn out, the last time she'd been at the festival she'd watched it from the top of the hill and it didn't look at big or as crowded as it was now. Out of instinct she looked round for anyone who might have looked like a skin then she told herself to relax, the skins weren't here and they wouldn't come here for another year if things happened very similar to how they had in her line.

After Liz forced herself to calm down her eyes scanned the crowd looking for Max and she spotted him walking around in his men in black suit eating a corn dog, she couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. He looked so young... so handsome and innocent, his eyes still shone even though he was hiding his true self away from so many people. Back when she found out about Max there had been a light in his eyes, a light so bright it showed his soul. When people started dying that light got a little dimmer and when they ended up on Antar that light seemed like it had disappeared altogether. He smiled back and her heart fluttered, she wanted nothing more to just run over there and let him hold her like he used to.

She lost sight of him in the crowd then felt someone watching her, stalking her, immediately her senses went on full alert and she tried to casually back track so she was in a position to see or even be behind the person watching her. She almost jumped out of her skin when someone grabbed her arm, she was poised and ready to fight or take flight but her reflexes stopped her at the last second when she saw Michael

"We need to talk" he hissed, she nodded quietly and followed him into the parking lot. She stopped short when she saw the Jeep; she hadn't seen it in years and part of her went cold when she saw it. Max had destroyed it when they thought they were going to Antar with Tess "What's wrong? Come on!" Michael ordered angry at her hesitation all of a sudden.

She sighed deeply then climbed into the passenger seat and tried not to think of the last time she sat here. Max had told her that he was leaving and he'd kissed her goodbye, she'd gone into the cafe thinking that she'd never see him again "Talk!" Michael demanded roughly, bringing her back to the moment at hand. She smiled, it was strange but wonderful to hear him try and boss her about

"What do you want to know?"

"Well for starters how you know so much about us? Did you... did you get it off Max? Was it buried in our subconscious? All the answers to who we are?" he probed trying to act tough but she saw right through it.

"No. I know because I lived it, I know you want answers and I will give them to you but tomorrow. I want you to meet me at the reservoir, I'm going to tell everyone everything. I'm going to tell you who you are, your alien names, where you come from... everything"

"Why tomorrow?"

"Because tomorrow I can have a chance to get everyone together. There's going to be a lot of things revealed and I'm going to need you there"

"But why tomorrow?" he stressed again "Why not now?"

"Because it's hard Michael. The way I'm going to explain is to show you and I need to show all of you. Not just one at a time, I lived it and it's going to be hard for me to go through every emotion, every loss"

"I don't care" he snarled gruffly "You're just a human, you don't matter"

"Now I know for a fact that's not true. And I'm not... human that is..." he whipped his head round, his eyes going wide and his mouth dropped open "Nor am I alien. I'm like you are, I'm a hybrid. When Max healed me, he changed me" she whispered then held out her hand making sure no one could see and made it glow softly "I'm one of you now and you're attitude will change. You owe a lot more to humans than you could ever imagine. I know for a fact that you end up marrying one"

"Bull!" he snapped "I wouldn't marry anyone but my own kind"

"The only female hybrids on the planet are me, Isabel, Tess and Ava. There are female aliens but they aren't on our side... both of them died before you even thought about marriage anyway"

"There's more hybrids. More like Max, Isabel and me? Tess and Ava? Who are they?"

"Tess is evil. She'll completely screw us over... and Ava. Heh she lives in New York... she's the other Tess"

"What do you mean? Other Tess?"

"They're identical. Like twins" she explained "Tess dies in two years time. She killed herself to save her baby"

"Baby? She has a kid?"

"Not yet. Not ever if I get my way"

"Who is the father? It's Max isn't it?"

"Yes. Max was the father of the baby" she looked away as hate filled her. Even though she eventually got over it and accepted it she still didn't forgive Max for his betrayal with Tess

"I don't understand. Max worships the ground you walk on, why on Earth would he get someone else pregnant?"

"Things were bad at the time" she said then clammed up, she wasn't going to say anything more on the subject

"How can I trust you? How can I trust what you're telling me?"

"Because you became family to me Michael. You're brother to Max and Isabel... you became my brother in law. I know everything there is to know about you"

"So you spied on me a few times. Doesn't mean you know everything about me" he jumped out of the jeep

"Your step-father Hank beats you" she called and he stopped in his tracks, he slowly turned round and stared at her "When you came out of your pod, the night you were born you were with Max and Isabel and when the lights of the Evans truck came you got scared, ran and hid. You didn't meet up with them for another three years. You made a table levitate off the floor a few weeks after you were put with your foster parents. Your favourite flavour is pistachio and you enjoy art, your favourite band is Metallica. When you're nervous or worried about something you scratch your right eyebrow. You're searching for your home, you want a family so badly you'd do anything"

"How..."

"I told you. I know everything there is to know about you Michael. I also know that you found a family. You got married and had two children that were so beautiful and clever you gave your life to save them"

"I had children" he whispered slowly coming back to the jeep, she nodded

"Serina and Jacob. Jacob had your skill at art, he was such a beautiful little boy! And Serina... oh if it wasn't for her then I wouldn't be here. She was only ten and she was one of the smartest beings in the entire universe. Much smarter than anyone here on Earth, you were so proud of her. Proud of both of them"

"I was a father... I got married. Who wanted to marry me?"

"Maria. Maria Deluca, you gave your life to save her too"

"Me and her? She loved me?"

"She does Michael. She always did and always will" she smiled as he climbed back in the jeep. He believed her and his eyes weren't moody or defensive anymore.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Jeff looked round the cafe and smiled at how quiet it was. Everyone was out partying at the crash festival and he was grateful for the quiet. There were few patrons in the diner but there wasn't any rush on. He even considered closing the kitchen early and having an early night in with Nancy.

He wandered out from behind the counter to get two cups of coffee for booth three when he spotted something lying on the floor. It looked like an old worn book that he'd never seen before, he picked it up. It was made out of metal and there were two words scratched into the front of it 'Elizabeth Evans'

"Must be Liz's" he mumbled as he shoved it into his apron and fetched the coffee for booth three. After giving the customers their coffee he made himself comfy behind the counter and picked out the strange book. He stared at it debating whether he should read it or return it, in the end he opened to the first page and found thin paper much like toilet paper and was surprised. Why would Liz write on toilet paper? He wondered, there had been some strange things happening the past few days and it only spurned on his desire to know. He looked round the cafe before letting his gaze return to the book and he began to read.

"Journal entry 3054. September 4th 2025. It's been two weeks since we were brought here and I'm as scared as ever. It's been three weeks since I saw sunlight... since I last saw the sun. Two weeks since Earth was completely destroyed. Kivar is holding Max and me prisoner... if anyone reads this then... I don't know. I don't exactly have hope anymore. I'm the last of my kind, the last human in existence and even then I'm not longer fully human. I'd hoped for so much when we came back to Roswell and started the resistance not that it didn't do any good. For three years we fought and we were killed off one by one. I miss my family, I miss Michael and Maria, I miss Jacob and Serina, I miss Isabel and Kyle and I miss Alex. All I can do is remember them as the two of us huddle together to keep warm. It's cold here on Antar, much colder than I was ever used to. Kivar leaves us alone but soon he's going to have to deal with us. I'm scared about what he'll do to us, I know he wants us dead and I know there's no way we can stop him. I know that I'll die here and no one will mourn my death. I have a feeling that whenever Kivar decides it's my time to die he'll kill me in front of Max, as if it wasn't bad enough that he wiped out every single life on Earth and destroyed our home... Kivar just wants to break Max, break him for his very existence and I would sooner die before that happens. I'd rather kill myself then let Kivar use me in hurting Max anymore. The Granolith is here and if we can get out and find it then we might have a chance..." the page trailed off, Liz had written no more on that day but there was more on the next page

"Journal Entry 3055 September 8th 2025. They took Max away four days ago, they brought him back today. They had tortured him for information... they want to know how to use the Granolith. Thank God Serina and I managed to modify it so only we can use it. I didn't think I was ever going to see my husband again. I waited and waited till that damn prison door opened and they brought him back in, I didn't eat and I didn't sleep. I know I should have done so I could have had some strength in me to try and heal him up. He hasn't woken up yet and I'm a little worried. All I can do is try and take my mind off how badly they beat him. I'm going to rest up a bit then try and heal him with the energy I do have. They don't know I have powers and I'm grateful. They used a trithium amplifier on Max but it didn't work on me. If they found out that I had powers they'd surely kill me... whether I was Max's wife or not" Jeff stopped reading. It sounded so outrageous and unbelievable but Liz wasn't one of making stories. He put the journal back in his apron as his mind filled with more questions, he would find out the meaning behind such a horrifying and scary tale and who it was that Liz had been talking to earlier.

He was dying to read more but he had the cafe to run, he decided there and then that he was going to close early and show the strange journal to Nancy. He knew that Liz kept a journal so it wasn't surprising to see this and it was his daughter's handwriting. Some of it just seemed too extreme and far-fetched but he knew that Liz wasn't the type of person to make things up like that. Was it possible that it happened? He shook his head, it was dated in the future, and did that mean it could happen? He wanted to know why Liz of all people would be chosen to be the last of her kind? And what about the guy she mentioned, he wondered, she'd mentioned a husband but didn't say they were the last only see was. Was her husband an alien? Did it mean that one day he would have an alien son in law? Jeff wanted to know the answer to that one. All he knew for sure was there was something going on with Liz and he was going to do whatever he needed to, to find out the truth.

*

Another half an hour and suddenly he was climbing the walls. The kitchen was in the process of being closed and Jeff found himself sat at the counter. His hand reached unbidden into his apron and pulled out the odd journal and despite not wanting to hear how horrible the story was he couldn't help but read his daughter's words.

"Journal Entry 3056 January 2026 I'm not sure of the date. Kivar came to us both once before he separated us. I haven't seen Max since early October, I think, I'm not sure of the date anymore. I don't even know why I'm trying to keep the date. Earth is gone, so is everything I hold dear; why bother about the date when I'll never feel grass against my feet or see the birds flying about the sky..." there were wrinkled splodges and Jeff guessed she'd been crying when she wrote that "Kivar told us why he kept me and Max alive. He wants Max's information about the Granolith and he wants the Royal Seal Max carries; I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse that he made me promise not to tell him what I knew about the Granolith. So far they've left me alone, they don't fully understand what and who I am. All they see is just some human and I'm grateful that they're underestimating me so much to ignore me completely. I don't know if Max is alive or not, but I haven't felt him die so I can only assume he's still being kept alive just like me. That knowledge is the highlight of my day, I wake up and I know he's still breathing and he's alive. I just wish I could see him, I miss him so much! Kivar plans on using me to create an heir; he wants to use me because I'm Max's wife. Even though they see me as only a human they still recognise me as Queen of Antar, so I'm perfect to carry the heir to the throne. I want to give up, I want to take away the satisfaction Kivar will have in using me against Max; if I didn't think it would completely destroy him I'd do it! If Kivar even managed to impregnate me I would kill myself before I let him take my child away, regardless of Max. Before he separated us we made a promise that neither of us would suffer through the pain of having a child born and stolen from us..."

The words stopped there so Jeff turned over the page. He wondered who this Kivar person was, if he ever met the man then he'd seriously do some damage for doing all this to his daughter regardless of whether he was lowered to the monsters level or not. The journal picked up a certain time later

"Journal Entry 3057. I don't know what the date is. I do know that the suns here have come up fifteen times since I last wrote in my journal. They almost found it but luckily I managed to hide it before they entered my cell. Kivar came to me a few times and brought me out of my cell and up to his private apartments..." it trailed off leaving the insinuation open  
"I tried fixing myself so that he's unsuccessful in his plans but so far I've had no luck. I don't know exactly what I'm doing; altering molecular structure was always difficult. He's invited me up to his rooms several times and twice he's succeeded in creating an heir. The first time... I managed to stop it from growing. It hurt so much but I had no choice!" there were more splodges wrinkling the paper and she'd cried a lot "It got a little easier the second time. It didn't hurt as much and they didn't know that he'd actually got me pregnant so they won't be constantly watching me to make sure I don't do what I did. I really miss Max, maybe if I can convince Kivar that I can only conceive with Max then maybe I'll get to see him again. Even if it's for a little bit I can get him to completely destroy my womb so that I don't have to go through killing my babies, that is killing me to do. But it's much better than the alternative. If it's possible I'm going to see if Max can split the seal and pass half of it onto me or something. If I was carrying part of it then that would mean I'd be important and they wouldn't kill me once they found out I couldn't have children"

Jeff slammed the journal down on the counter startling some of the people sitting on the other side who were still milling around hovering over their food. There was no way to describe the pain and trauma his baby was going through, those words were shocking at best; was it real? It had to be, there was definitely no way she would create a story like this. That meant someone had raped his baby girl, someone had driven her to kill her own babies twice in order to save it from the monster who wanted her children!

He was so shocked that he didn't notice Liz coming in through the door. Maria had dropped her off in the Jetta on her way home. As soon as Liz saw her father she knew he knew about her past... or at least some of it by the way he was looking at her

"Is it true?" he whispered after coming to stand in front of her. She seemed ashamed as she stood frozen to the spot. She nodded her head refusing to look up as tears filled her eyes "How? When did this happen? In the future? You still look sixteen"

"I came back" she told him, he hadn't gotten to her last few entries "I escaped and I used the Granolith to come back to stop it all from happening"

"Liz" he said softly lifted her chin with his fingers "Look at me"

"Daddy!" she sobbed as soon as she locked eyes with him "Oh God!" he pulled her into his arms as painful sobs racked her body. She collapsed against him and he lifted her up into his arms, she was so small; just a little girl! How on Earth had she coped with something like this? She was just a kid!

Liz clung to her father as he carried her through the diner, up the stairs and into their apartment. Nancy got worried when she saw him carrying her

"What's wrong?" she demanded as he laid Liz down on the couch

"There's a lot that I have to tell you" he said, sparing Liz a glance. She was in no state to explain what had happened to her "But first I have to go get her journal"

"My journal" Liz whispered "So that's how you knew. You read it" she spoke to aloud, more to herself than anyone else in the room.

"Liz?" Nancy stroked her daughter's hair while Jeff went and retrieved the journal "What happened to you? You can tell me, baby" Liz said nothing and just leaned into her mother's arms as Nancy stroked her hair. Liz slowly drifted into a semi peaceful state but before long her dreams were haunted by her past.

"I haven't read all of it yet. Only three entries... there was someone called Kivar. He raped her, Nancy, he raped her so she would get pregnant. He wanted to get her pregnant so he could take the baby away. He succeeded twice but Liz... she terminated both pregnancies before he found out"

"God! When the hell did this happen? Why didn't she come to us! Why didn't we know?" she gasped in disbelief "To us it hasn't happened yet. Here" he carefully laid Liz down on the couch and covered her with the Afghan then handed Nancy the journal. They read it together, reading even further in until Nancy refused to read anymore. Tears were streaming down her face as she looked at her little baby girl; how the hell had she survived all that? "My baby" she sobbed as she carefully brushed strands off Liz's forehead

"Max" Liz murmured in her sleep. From what they'd read who ever this Max was they knew that he'd married Liz and did his best to protect her from Kivar. It was clear to see that Liz loved him more than anything in the world and from his actions trying to protect her and taking the torture for both of them he loved her too. Nancy couldn't wait to meet the man who would be her son in law and be the only thing that kept Liz strong during that awful time.

Liz slept through the night and when morning came she woke up to find her parents barely awake. They'd been up all night reading through the journal and keeping an eye on her

"Mom, dad" she called as she sat up

"Liz!" Nancy dropped the book and quickly rushed over to her "Are you okay? Do you want something to eat? Drink?"

"I'm fine mom. I have to get ready for school" she pushed the blanket aside and stood up, she groaned when she realised she was still wearing her 'costume' from last night

"You don't have to go in today if you don't want to" Jeff declared "We read the rest of your journal. There's a lot we want to talk about"

"Please..." she almost begged, it was hard enough knowing it happened to her but to relive it over and over "I can't"

"She doesn't have to talk about it" said Nancy with a glare at her husband

"No, mom, it's okay. I will talk about it. Just not now... I'm holding a... a meeting later at the reservoir after school? Would you come? This is very hard for me and I'd rather just tell everyone altogether once so I don't have to repeat myself"

"Of course we'll be there" Jeff nodded "You better get ready for school, then"

"Liz you really don't have to go in if you don't want to" Nancy urged but Liz shook her head

"I have class. Max will be there"

"Max?" whispered Jeff "The one from your journal? The alien you married?"

"Yeah"

"Will-will we get to meet him?" she asked her daughter and she nodded

"He'll be there this afternoon. I want you to meet him" she replied "He's from this line, he doesn't know about my past though. He doesn't know what will happen in this future"

"But you do" Jeff shook his head "You know... god Liz if I can take away all the painful memories"

"No" Liz shook her head "If I didn't have the painful memories I wouldn't have fought so hard to come back and change what will happen here. Those memories make me who I am. For the thirteen years before Earth was destroyed I've never been happier. I had a family and we saw the world, travelled America and saved so many people. We all looked out for each other and I will never ever regret that. I'm only sad that I won't have those thirteen years if I'm successful in stopping the bad things that'll happen"

"You're the most amazing, incredible person... I can't even begin!" he told her, the pride he felt when he looked at his daughter filled him with so much hope. She'd been hurt in all the worst possible ways a person could be and here she was still struggling forward, fighting for her family and for the rest of the human race.

"Thanks, dad, now I have to go get ready for school" she announced before disappearing to her room. Jeff just watched her go and sighed deeply, he wanted to meet this Max person as much as his wife did. Whoever could make his daughter so optimistic after so much... darkness would always be perfect for her.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Michael looked out the window of his foster father's trailer at the Old Chisholm Trail Trailer Park and couldn't help but smile. As farfetched as it sounded, especially considering that it would be Maria Deluca who would make his dreams come true, he was happy. True his bed was inches away from falling apart and all he owned in the world could fit into a small ratty backpack but he wouldn't have traded it for the world. What Liz had told him...

"What the hell are you grinning about?" demanded Hank as he stood in Michael's doorway

"Nothing" Michael bit out hoping to avoid an argument

"Didn't look like nothing to me" he commented before changing the subject "I told you to get food for breakfast. Where were you, Mickey?"

"I got food and don't call me Mickey. I ain't a mouse"

"What am I supposed to do with a bag of vegetables and I don't even know what this is"

"It's a swede, dad, and I suggest you try cooking them" he said, the last part he muttered under his breath. Hank glared at him

"Cut the jokes wise guy! If you think you're so clever why don't you try cooking them?"

"I'm not hungry" he responded then turned to stare out the window. He was picturing Maria and what Serina and Jacob would look like. Serina would have brown hair like her brother, he imagined, but she would have Maria's eyes. Jacob, however, would be darker... more like him and he'd have dark eyes and always look out for his big sister... Michael didn't know why but he did imagine that Serina would be the eldest.

He was jerked out of his thoughts when Hank grabbed him roughly, pulling him up before pushing him into the kitchen

"It wasn't a request! Come on wise ass! I'm waiting!" he tossed the bag at Michael glaring at him to defy him

Michael dropped the bag to the floor without taking his eyes off Hank. He shook his head and lifted his chin in defiance

"No. You can cook your own food! You're not my family! Hell, you're not even my real father!" he shouted as his emotions tried to get the better of him

"No, Mickey, I'm not. But I'm your legal guardian because your real family... your parents, they knew that you were a failure so they got rid of you! They didn't want you! Shit, I don't even want you. At least I get a cheque each month to put up with you!"

"Shut up! My family do want me! Don't you dare say anything about them! They're better than you are!"

"Yeah then where the hell are they?"

"Right here" they both turned to see Liz standing in the doorway "If I were you, Mr Whitmore, I'd watch what you say to my brother in law"

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my house!"

"Elizabeth Evans and I'm here to give Michael a lift to school" she replied "Are you ready? Everyone's waiting" something caught her eye and she glanced to the toaster before turning back to the situation before her.

"Yeah, Liz, I'm ready. Let's get out of here" he quickly grabbed her arm and led her from the trailer to where Maria was waiting in the Jetta.

Michael slid in the back as Liz slid into shotgun. He stopped when he realised whose car this was and who was driving

"Uhh... hi" he said with a slow smile

"Hi" Maria replied, a small smile spreading over her face too. They glanced shyly back and forth before Liz cleared her throat.

"Are we going to school or do you want to head to that little motel on 285 South?" she couldn't help but ask with a smirk and both of them looked deeply embarrassed.

"Uhm, yeah" Maria nodded as she started the car and headed to West Roswell.

When they arrived they all got out and were all about to go inside when Michael stopped Liz, he glanced at Maria before turning back to her

"Can I talk to you?"

"I'll see you in class" said Maria, she bit her lip then stepped closer to Michael hesitating for a moment. He stared at her and his eyes darkened, she licked her lips then chickened out and kissed his cheek before running as probably as her feet could carry her away. She watched the entire display with happiness because they were on the path to being a really great couple.

"Liz" Michael began when he finally found his voice "I want to thank you for... for telling me about Maria and for coming to my house this morning. And... about what you said... about me being family... thanks. I've never had a family before, Hank doesn't count, it's nice to think that there is someone willing to give me the benefit of the doubt and look out for me"

"Any time. It's what families do, they protect and care for each other. My... my parents know. They don't know about you or Isabel but they know Max is an alien, they read my journal. The journal I kept when I was on Antar... they're coming to this meeting this afternoon. They'll know all I know about you by tonight... Michael I want you to come and stay with us. If they're against it then I'll get my own place and you can come with me"

"Liz... do you have any idea what you're asking?"

"Yes I do. You may be just be my brother in law but you've always been a brother to me. You're my family and I want to keep you safe. Especially from Hank... Michael he tried to shoot you" she whispered

"What?"

"In a few weeks Hank tries to shoot you. Max and Isabel save you but who knows what'll happen! Maybe you won't be that lucky! I want you to come and stay with us, please Michael"

"I-I don't know what to say"

"Well at least think about it"

"I will" he nodded before they moved off to join everyone else wandering through the halls.

*

Max watched her. He'd been watching her for the last few minutes as well as half the class, the teacher stood there staring at her angrily for being such a disruption. She still hadn't noticed that she'd brought the entire class to a standstill.

She was sitting on the floor holding the chalkboard erasers and running her hands softly over the side which wiped the board. Liz had been sat there doing that for the last five minutes and had been completely oblivious to everything and everyone else in the room. Suddenly she looked up, dropped the eraser then hurried to the potted plant in the corner. She knelt there sniffing the small flowers and stroking the leaves. Why was she behaving like this? Max wondered as he watched her.

No one else seemed to be stopping her so he got up and walked over to her. The teacher glared roughly at him as he knelt down next to her

"Liz?" he whispered, she jumped turning to look at him with surprise

"Max?" she replied just as quickly then her eyes went wide and she shook her head "No, you're not Max. Where is he? What have you done with him?"

"Liz... it's me. You're in school"

"School?" she looked around then turned look at Max "Oh... it's okay. I'm in school... I don't feel well"

"I'll take her to the nurse" Max announced helping Liz up and out of the room. He half carried her half led her along the hall and she leaned against him "What was that back there?"

"Hm?" she mumbled as she watched the dust flecks float on the sunlight

"Why were you doing those things?" he couldn't help but ask, was it a product of him healing her? Did it have some affect on her mental faculties? Rumour was that she'd even broken up with Kyle.

"In the future... everything's gone" she announced "Earth gets destroyed and all the silly things people take for granted like toasters, erasers and plants disappear in the blink of an eye. I've lived in a world where there's nothing but darkness and there's none of those things left. It's a miracle to see them, to be able to touch them again. I never thought... I would, ever again" she began to sob "I'm grateful to see them because things are back how they used to be and even though you're all here. You're not the people I knew, I wish they would come back too! I miss my family, I miss my husband"

Max stopped still. She sounded so hurt and upset, what had she been through? He held her in his arms and stroked her tears away

"I may not be the Max from your future. I may never be him but no matter what, Liz, I'll be there for you. I'll do anything I can to give you your family back" he made a silent vow there and then.

"Thank you" she whispered through her tears then buried her head against his chest. Max stroked her hair and just held her in the middle of the hallway. He'd never ever let her go and he'd do his best to make her happy.

Liz was sent home after Max took her to the nurse's office. Her parents were called and she was taken home. Jeff came to pick up his daughter and was surprised to see a young boy sitting with her

"Liz, are you okay?" he asked as he knelt down in front of her. She was leaning forward letting her hair hang down shadowing her face

"Dad" she replied quietly reaching out of him. He gathered her up in his arms and she clung to him, he could tell that she'd been in no state to leave for school when Maria came to pick her up. The poor girl was close to breaking down completely

"It's okay honey. I'll take you home and we'll get you into bed" he declared

"Is she going to be okay?" Max asked, Jeff glared at the boy wondering who he was. Whoever he was, he was sure that he wasn't Max. The boy looked far too human to be anything but alien

"She'll be fine" he bit out moodily

"Max" Liz called suddenly looking up straight at the boy Jeff had just been rude to "Come to the reservoir after school. Bring Isabel..." she said before her father spirited her out of the room.

"That was him, wasn't it. That was Max" he asked and she nodded mutely glancing back over her shoulder

"Yeah that was him" her voice sounded strained, she felt like she'd break any second. That all the events that led her here would make her fall apart at the seams and there would be nothing of her left. Sometimes she'd wish for it, she'd wish to just melt or disappear anything to go through the crap Kivar would put her through.

Jeff couldn't help but glance at her every so often, he felt like such a failure. He was a father, her father, and when she needed him the most he wasn't there. It's so hard to just try and protect your child from all the cruelties of this world, from all the bad things that could happen. But how do you protect your kid from the cruelties of another world? How can you stop the bad things then?

"So... that was him, eh. Did he bring you to the nurse's office?"

"Yeah, he did. I wasn't feeling well... I got a little upset over all the things I missed when I was on Antar"

"What was... what was your cell like?" the words sounded strange to him and he cursed himself for asking her a question like that

"It was dark. It was dark all the time, there weren't any windows only a door. I used to sit in the corner near the door and write in my journal. There was a small square hole with four bars at the bottom of the door. I'd sit in the corner because it would get the most light and I'd be able to hear guards coming down the hallway. I always had to be away from the door when the guards came, usually to bring me food but sometimes... He came. They would turn the light on and it would take me some time to adjust to it. He never did anything in my cell, it was far too dirty for him, and he would have the guards escort me up to his private chamber..." she stopped abruptly and snapped on the radio "I miss things you know. I missed music and rain and the feel of grass against my toes. I was in that cell for ten years. We only escaped because Kivar underestimated me, he thought I was human. No one had ever told him otherwise and he treated me like one"

With a growl Jeff turned the car around and drove away from the CrashDown towards the park. He parked up and helped Liz out of the car "What are we doing here dad?"

"Just close your eyes" he said softly and he took both her hands and led her into the park. He led her over the path to a large area of grass "Sit down slowly" he helped her lower to the ground as her eyes remained closed. He let go of her hands and removed her shoes and socks

"What's that?" asked Liz as she felt cool droplets of water landing on her face, she was dying to open her eyes to find out where she was but her dad hadn't said she could yet

"Open them" he said finally, she opened her eyes and he was sat a few metres away from her watching as she sat close on the grass close to the sprinklers in the park. Liz's eyes went wide as she looked around.

She jumped to her feet feeling the grass tickling her soles as she rushed into the spray from the sprinklers. Jeff just watched and saw how alive and wondrous his daughter really was, but then again she was right. All the little things, they'd all be lost if Earth was destroyed; no wonder she missed them. This was her home and it was the things taken for granted that reminded her of it. She twirled under the water, her hair got damp and her clothes stuck to her but she didn't care.

"Not what I imagined" came a throaty voice suddenly that made her stop spinning "You make an odd queen"

Jeff hurried over to his little girl when he saw that familiar bald man talking to her again. She seemed to stiffen in surprise

"Liz are you okay?" he asked placing a hand on her shoulder protectively

"I'm fine dad. Dad, I'd like you to meet Kal Langley, Kal this is my dad Jeff Parker" she said giving a formal introduction

"I'd say it was an honour but then again I'd be lying" he said curtly as they shook hands

"What do you want with my daughter?"

"I'm a director in Hollywood. I think your daughter has potential"

"Kal. You don't have to do the Hollywood spiel, my father knows about aliens" declared Liz and his eyes went wide

"Are you insane? Don't tell me you've been going around telling everyone?"

"No, she hasn't" Jeff cut it before glancing at Liz "Is he an alien?"

"Yes. He's a shapeshifter, he's a guardian to the Royal Four and he's going to be meeting everyone with me this afternoon"

"Royal Four, so it's your job to protect my daughter? She's one of the Royal Four, right?" he asked calmly even though anger was pouring off him in waves. Kal nodded as he rolled his eyes, he couldn't care less about this stupid human.

Without warning Jeff swung his fist sending it crashing into Langley's jaw, the shorter man fell to the floor holding his chin.

"Dad!" cried Liz

"She went through hell! Where were you?"

"Dad!" Liz got his attention "Langley was dead when I was captured by Kivar. He couldn't protect me because he'd been killed. He gave his life"

"You're alright" said Kal suddenly laughing aloud as he lifted himself up off the grass "You didn't have to hit me and if you do that again then we'll be having problems"

"Just try it" he hissed squaring up to him angrily

"Both of you stop it!" she cried, Liz leaned forward and her breath came slower "Stop..." she collapsed forwards and Jeff caught her

"Liz? LIZ!" he gasped, he felt for her pulse; it was there and unbelievably erratic

"Let's get her to your car. Then I can check her out" said Langley quietly. Jeff carried her to his car and laid her down on the back seat. Langley held his hand over her head and it glowed softly "She's fine... she's dreaming. She collapsed because she's exhausted, she's suffering from time traveller's jet lag"

"I'm taking her home. She needs to rest, that meeting this afternoon is off!" said Jeff roughly as he got in the car and disappeared home with Liz still on the back seat.

Kal just watched them go and from the few seconds that he'd been connected with Liz there was no way in hell she would let him call off this meeting.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Nancy watched her sleeping on the couch. She'd been sleeping ever since Jeff brought her home from the park; as soon as they school had phoned explaining that Liz was sick she'd been out of her mind and then Jeff failed to come back. When he did her little girl was out cold, he should have brought her straight home! She wanted to shout at him, yell her frustration out at him but she feared that it would wake Liz up.

The poor girl needed all the rest she could get. Who knew the effects time travel had on someone? Nancy suddenly panicked; what if Liz never woke up? What if coming back meant that her energy would be sucked out until it killed her? She nervously went over and checked her daughter's vitals, they were all normal despite her being a little warmer than usual. Liz, she just looked like she was sleeping. But that didn't stop the older woman from worrying.

Deep in Liz's subconscious as she slept she dreamt of the best and worse time of her life. Strangely enough it was on Antar...

Liz had been brought back to her cell after an evening with Kivar. It had gone as planned and she couldn't help the disgust that coursed through her. She felt Max nearby in a cell not too far from hers but she pulled away from him burying herself deep within her own soul, blocking everything out.

Kivar had been raping her constantly for the past two months and she'd been checked over each time by doctors the next day to see if she'd produced an heir. She couldn't help it was she broke down sobbing on her knees that were pulled tight against her chest.

"My God!" she gasped as her emotion consumed her

"Shut the hell up!" roared a guard and she sucked in a breathe trying to control her sadness. She couldn't even emotionally grieve for what she was going through! Liz rose to her feet and walked over to the pile of threadbare blankets in the corner that passed as her bed. She picked one up and wound it round until it was thin enough to tie into a noose. She didn't have anything to hang herself on though. Her room was empty save for a bucket and her blankets; she couldn't even kill herself like she wanted!

She abandoned the noose and tried to make use of the bucket. It was made out of weak metal and she kicked it until a piece broke off. She brought it to her neck and slowly pressed it against her artery; she stopped suddenly when she felt a strange throbbing in her stomach.

"I'm pregnant" she whispered dropping the metal shard and splaying both hands over her tummy to feel the life growing inside her "I'm going to have a baby. Our... no... it's his baby. Not Max's" tears filled her eyes once more. She fiercely shook her head "Not my baby"

She picked up that shard once more and plunged it into her stomach. She focused her energy and sent it in through the metal blasting the unborn baby "I'm sorry!"

Liz screamed... she screamed so loud that Max thought she was being killed. Guards rushed into her room surveying the scene and immediately called for a healer to save her, Kivar would go insane if she died! It was too late for the baby. She couldn't stop screaming as she felt her baby dying inside her, dying at her hands.

Liz jerked awake knocking Nancy back so she landed on the floor in shock, she jerked with fright as her little girl sat there for a moment before letting out the most blood curdling scream she'd ever heard. Liz was clawing at her stomach as tears streamed down her face. Jeff came in when he heard his daughter's scream and quickly rushed over to restrain her.

"Liz! LIZ!" it took a while before he got her attention. She hiccupped then swallowed before wiping away the tears and making her face blank, he stood up and helped Nancy up off the floor

"What time is it?" she asked

"It's almost three" whispered Nancy, what had she been dreaming about; what could have possibly caused a reaction like that?

"We've got to go meet the others"

"The meetings cancelled. I told Kal that it's cancelled, you're in no fit state to go out there" said Jeff putting his foot down. Liz glared at him, she rose from them the couch squaring up to him; suddenly he felt terrified of her. She was intimidating him and it was working.

"Get the car. We're going, you're not going to stop me. You either come with me or you can stay here. It's your choice, either help me or get out of the way"

"Jeff" Nancy called him "Go get the car. Liz needs us since she's certainly made up her mind about going"

"Yeah, yeah okay" he nodded then left the room to get the car. Liz slipped her shoes on and smiled at her mom as a thank you.

Quietly the pair walked downstairs and got in the car where Jeff was waiting. Liz sat in the back while her parents were in the front and they drove out of town towards the reservoir.

*

He wondered what he was doing here. He knew it had something to do with Liz and why she'd dumped him, she said that she'd come and explain everything to him and his father after the Crash Festival but she had failed to turn up. So many questions were running through his mind, why did she want to explain things to his dad as well? Why all the cloak and dagger attitude and why did Alex Whitman, Maria Deluca, Michael Guerin, Max and Isabel Evans have to do with this? And who the hell was that guy standing by the really expensive looking black jeep who was eyeing up everyone?

"I think that's them" he said suddenly. Everyone looked at the weird bald guy before turning to see a faint dust cloud rising as a car drove towards them. Within minutes all the Parker's arrived and they came over with Liz leading the way

"Thank you all for meeting me here" she said as she took the floor, so to speak. The bald man immediately moved over to her side and began whispering with her. They argued quietly for a few minutes before he glared at her and folded his arms angrily before letting her continue "I know that what I'm about to tell you... no, show you... what I'm about to show you is going to be a little scary but... well you need to know"

"Liz, what's going on? Why are we all here?" Kyle demanded suddenly

"You're all here because you're the people I trust more than anything or anyone on this planet or the next" she replied simply "You're my family... or you become my family. I know this bit won't be exactly pleasant but I want you to hold hands"

"What?" mumbled Alex "Hold hands?"

"That's what she said" Michael hissed at him, Isabel nodded and walked over to hold her estranged brother's hand. Max took her other hand while Maria held Michael's free hand, they all joined hands until Liz was the last one standing in the circle not holding anyone's hand

"Clear your minds. You're going to need to be ready for this" she said, she sucked in a deep breath then took hold of the hands outstretched to her which was Max and her father. Immediately the flashes started, they began from the shooting in her time line, Jim hounding Max, her Grandmother passing away, Tess and Nasedo coming to Roswell, Nasedo taking her, the White Room, The Destiny Message, Liz's terrible summer in Florida, coming back and trying to avoid Max, Future Max pretending to sleep with Kyle, the skins, The Dupes, Laurie Dupree, Nicholas, Alex's death, Alex's funeral, searching for Alex's killer, the fighting and falling out, finding out that Max and Tess were going to have a baby. Going to Las Cruces to kill Leanna, Discovering she wasn't Alex's murderer, Max and the others leaving, Discovering Tess's betrayal, Tess leaving with Max's baby, Max doing everything to rescue his son, robbing the Quikstop, her father's ban on Max, trying to be with him, Max finding and going to Kal Langley, Isabel getting married then the whole honeymoon fiasco, Samuel and Christmas, then New Years were Max and Maria went off to find Enigma, Liz getting her powers then leaving for Vermont, her feeling Max die then the strange few hours when he came to her school and tried to kill her, falling out the window and Max saving her life, going back to Roswell, Michael losing control and going on a mad spree threatening everyone then trying to kill Jesse, Isabel's marriage hanging by a thread, Tess returning with the baby and bringing the entire FBI down on them once more, hiding out at Isabel's waiting for the heat to die down, the voting, Liz driving Tess to the base, Tess destroying the base, Max giving baby Zan up for adoption because he was human, Graduation and their escape into the night, Max and Liz getting married, wandering around in a van for several months before discovering Maria was pregnant with twins, settling in a small town just north of the Canadian border, Jacob and Serina being born making Michael the proudest father in the entire world, living together in the small town until the FBI tried to make an attempt at capturing them, spending the next four years on the road, doing courses whenever possible, Kyle and Isabel growing into close friends, birthdays celebrated, Serina passing her course in quantum mechanics and advanced physics at the age of eight thanks to fake IDs, the first wave coming down in Australia, returning home as every government fought against the alien invasion, working with the resistance for three years, their parents tortured and killed, Jim throwing himself in front of a blast that would have killed Liz, Kyle and Isabel, Kyle holding his father's head in his hands as he died, Kivar destroying the sun, Kyle dying in a raid a few weeks later, someone telling her that Isabel had been killed when a group went out to get food, Nicholas coming back trying to capture Maria, Serina and Jacob, Michael fighting Nicholas until he lost and he was blasted, Michael watching Nicholas kill his family before his eyes, Max and Liz becoming the last of their group, Kivar coming to Earth, Max and Liz surrendering to him, giving up the Granolith, Kivar taking them from Earth by a ship, Liz watching as Earth was destroyed as the Antarian forces pulled out, being held prisoner on Antar, being separated from Max, her trips to Kivar, killing Kivar's baby, being reunited with Max before being separated once more, getting pregnant again and killing the baby a second time, being reunited with Max permanently, being tortured, watching Max being tortured, begging Max to destroy her womb, being left to rot in the cells, discovering the Granolith was nearby, their plans, Max and Liz's escape, Liz watching Max die...

The entire group holding hands felt every single emotion, felt ever feeling Liz had through the entire thirty six years from the day in the cafe when she was shot to the moment in the Granolith. Everyone let go and she collapsed to the floor; instantly it was as if a chain reaction was set off. Maria rushed over to Michael and he pulled her into his arms and held her there as if she'd disappear any second. Nancy, Jeff and Max rushed over to Liz as she sat there trying to catch her breath. Isabel broke down in tears and Alex came over and held her as she cried

"Good god" gasped Jim "What the hell was that...?" he knew exactly what it was. He knew and saw everything, still that didn't stop him from asking

"She's an alien?" whispered Kyle "So are you... and you... you're a shapeshifter" he said addressed Kal who was stood there in a state of shock. He had no idea, yeah he figured out little bits from what she'd said, but he had no idea she'd been through that! His mind reeled for a moment before he masked his surprise and began to work through his priorities; protecting the Royal Four was paramount but Liz had asked him to protect the young boy Alex. He'd seen how important Alex was to the group before he was killed and that his death essential broke down the group separating them to be infiltrated and manipulated easily. That would be one of his goals, keep the group mentality strong so that it wouldn't be broken. After that he would eliminate the threat the other shapeshifter made by trying to break Max and Liz up; she carried the Third Seal which made her Queen, even though they had failed to complete a proper bonding ceremony, that meant that anyone else would clearly be dismissed as Queen.

He knew clearly that Liz wouldn't be able to function without Max and from what he saw as his young king helped the broken girl on the floor it was pretty much the same for him. Langley glanced over at the fair haired couple holding each other close as if the other would disappear; the boy Michael was the General. He'd have to be trained to reach his full potential, he'd have to take Michael as well when he took Alex, that way he could train them up and ensure their safety.

"Yeah I am... Alex" he replied then called the tall boy getting his attention. He lifted his head from Isabel's shoulder and stared at him "I'll find the reason but I want you to go home to pack. Be ready to come with me to Los Angeles"

"Yeah" he nodded glumly before turning to Isabel

"No Alex! I don't want you to go!" she shook her head her grip on him tightening "Don't leave me! I can't lose you!"

"You won't. I'm going away to be safe; I'll come back when it's safe for me to and we'll be together. That's if you want to... I know you got married to Jesse"

"Yeah but I love you. You know what and who I am and you didn't run away like he did" she pointed out and he nodded

"Good... when I come back we'll be together"

"Michael" Langley said "You have to come too"

"What? Why do I have to go? I want to stay here with my wife"

"She's not your wife yet. You're the general, I'm going to need to train you up to your full potential. You're going to need it with her as the Queen" he chuckled trying to make the highly tense situation a little bearable

"What's that supposed to mean?" Max demanded roughly turning to glare at Kal

"It was a joke... not a very good one. Sorry" he shook his head "She wants to go to Copper Summit on her own to 'take out' the skins. She's a spitfire through and through; she's going to need a good king and a strong General to take care of her" she'll need it, he mentally added

"I'm going with Michael" Maria announced "He's Max's General and I'm Liz's. I want to be trained up too. I want to be able to protect myself and my family"

"Are you sure?" Jim asked speaking up suddenly "Liz might need you more at the minute"

"She's got Kyle, Isabel and Max looking out for her not to mention her parents. I think... no, I know she'll be okay until I come back, right?" she turned hoping to hear her best friend agree with her but Liz was still on the floor staring off into space.

"I think we should get her home" Nancy said quietly. The two of them lifted Liz off the ground and put her in the back of their car

"Can I..." Max began, Jeff just nodded without saying a word. Max tossed his keys to Isabel who caught them easily and he climbed into the back seat. As soon as he was there Liz moved into his arms before closing her eyes. He held her safe as she fell asleep; she'd been through so much.

Isabel held the keys in her hands before looking at Alex, he nodded as a slow understanding smile spread across his face

"I don't want to be alone, not tonight, come with me. We have a lot to talk about"

"Yeah we do" he agreed before glancing at Maria who was still being held safely by Michael "Maria. Are you going to get back into town safe?"

"She'll be fine" Michael replied for her. Jim and Kyle were already walking to their cars, all the people involved would have a lot to talk about.

"Don't go too far" said Langley "I'll be keeping an eye out for all of you"

"Thanks" said Kyle, somehow the thought of having an alien shapeshifter watching his back was mighty appealing and made the world seem less darker than it had suddenly become for him.

*

Max didn't want to leave her but he knew he had to get home. How had she survived through all that? How had he? Through her eyes he'd seen how he lost one person after another... he saw the heights of their connection and knew each and every single time that Liz was raped by Kivar he felt it. He could only imagine what his future self felt like knowing that Liz was being abused by that monster and he was powerless to stop it!

"You should go home, Max" said Jeff. He wanted to be angry, he wanted to hate the boy in front of him. But he couldn't. In all the flashes he got as he worked through all Liz had shown him; he knew that Liz wouldn't be alive if it weren't for him. Yes, the boy in front of him would one day take his daughter away but she was be protected and loved; that was all he hoped for his daughter. He could see that even though times had been tough she'd been happy.

"I know" he replied "But I don't want to leave her..."

"We'll look after her for you" said Nancy from the doorway "You can come back tomorrow and see her then. But for now I think you're parents are worrying about you"

"Yeah, yes they probably are. Thank you" he said with a nod then untangled Liz from his arms and left.

It was quiet when he got home, his parents were in the living room watching TV and Isabel was nowhere in sight

"Where's Izzy?" he couldn't help but ask

"She's in her room. Max, can we talk to you" said Phillip, Max came and sat down and the TV was switched off

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing sweetie. It's just Isabel mentioned that you were out on a date..."

"A date?" he repeated surprised, why had Isabel told them that?

"With that nice girl Elizabeth Parker, her parents run the CrashDown Cafe right?"

"Yeah..." he nodded, he was surprised but Isabel had laid the ground work for him. He'd have to get his own back and mention Alex "I was... on a date. She's my girlfriend"

"That's nice, dear" said Diane "But don't you think that you're rushing into things? We haven't met her yet"

"Diane, come on!" Philip interrupted "Didn't you hear what Isabel said? You know how picky and fussy Isabel is; do you really think she's give the girl praise if she wasn't good for her little brother?"

"I suppose" she grumbled "Still haven't met her. You should invite her round for dinner"

"Of course I will" said Max with a smile, then it got even bigger "Is Isabel inviting Alex?"

"Alex?" Philip's head shot up "Alex who? Why hasn't she mentioned him?"

"Alex Whitman... Isabel's boyfriend" Max almost singsonged

"Boyfriend?" Philip practically growled "She's too young to have a boyfriend!"

"I'm going to my room. I've got some studying to do" Max couldn't wait to tell his sister the news that he'd told their parents about her relationship with Alex; teach her to meddle in his affairs.

*

"I can't believe she went through all that" Alex whispered after settling down on the chair in Isabel's room. He'd followed her home in his car then she'd let him in through her window.

"I can. Somehow that just seems something she'd do. She endured so much, that's just who she is"

"What do you mean?"

"She's strong. She's the strongest person I've ever met" Isabel pointed out as she sat down on her bed, she wanted to be close to Alex but short of sitting in his lap, she had to sit on her bed "It killed her inside each time she lost one of us and yet she kept going. When she lost you she had to be strong for Maria, when she lost Kyle she had to be strong for me, when she lost me she had to be strong for Max and Michael, when she lost Maria, Jacob, Serina and Michael she had to be strong for Max and the resistance, when she lost the resistance she had to be strong for Max... what happens when there's no one left for her to strong for?"

"I dunno... I don't know what's going to happen now. All I know is that it's different for her now, she got us all back. She doesn't have to be strong for us, we have to be strong for her. She's going to need us to get through all she's been through"

"I know. I can't believe it, though, all her memories... what Kivar did to her. I felt every feeling she felt when she got rid of the baby, I felt it like I was getting rid of my own baby" she choked up and Alex immediately rose from his feet and sat down next to her on her bed pulling her into his arms.

"It's okay... it'll be okay"

"I don't want all that to happen. I don't want to lose you and I don't want Liz to go through that!"

"You won't. Langley will take Michael, Maria and me to LA and I'll be safe... and you know what, when I come back... I'm going to take you out. We're going to go Star Gazing and I'm going to treat you like a princess"

"Alex... I should have married you instead of Jesse. I loved you so much, I wish you'd been there for me when I took that step"

"I know. You don't have to tell me, I'm not angry that you married Jesse" he cooed softly stroking her hair "I was just glad you had a chance to be happy. That's all I want for you Isabel and if... if things do go bad and you do meet him, then you have my blessing to be with him"

"How can you say that?" she fiercely shook her head "It's you I want, it's you I'll ever want. You know the truth about me and you accept me. He didn't and the marriage fell apart, he got his happy with another woman. I'm going to get my happiness from you and no one else; now that we're together I'm not going to let you go"

"I love you" Alex blurted before he could stop himself, Isabel smiled and slowly leaned forward brushing her lips against his "I love you too" she replied before kissing him again just as the door opened, Phillip walked into Isabel's room intent on asking her about who this Alex person was that Max told him she was dating and got the shock of his life

"Isabel... I wanted to talk to you about... Oh my God!"

"Aaah!" Alex jumped up and tried to avoid Phillip trying to grab him. Isabel rose to her feet trying to step between her father and her boyfriend

"Who the hell is that and what is he doing in your room?"

"This is Alex..."

"You're Alex!" Phillip growled, Isabel shook her head trying to stop her dad from murdering her boyfriend. She had a feeling Max had something to do with this

"It's uhh nice to meet you sir" said Alex as he hid behind Isabel

"Max!" Isabel shouted and Max burst into the room then promptly burst out laughing "Don't laugh! Help me! Or I'll tell them what you were doing with Liz"

"You were doing stuff with Liz?" demanded Alex suddenly, Phillip and Alex marched towards Max intent on interrogating him

"Yeah that's what I'd like to know. This girl isn't one of those loose women"

"Hey! Liz is like a sister to me! Don't talk about her like that!" he protested then paused when she realised who he was talking to

"Who are you? Her pimp? Are you trying to recruit Isabel now?"

"Dad, Alex is our friend. He's a good guy, do you really think I'd let my sister date someone I didn't approve of?" Max pointed out and Phillip cringed

"You" he said pointed at Isabel "Are grounded. You too Max. Alex, go home"

"Yes sir" he said glancing briefly at Isabel, he knew he was pushing it but he kissed her goodbye before quickly leaving past a surprised Diane "Nice to meet you Mrs Evans" then he was gone.

*

"Jacob looked so much like you" whispered Maria, the two of them were sat on the steps to her house talking quietly

"But he has your eyes" Michael shot back "They're both beautiful and... Serina was... is so clever!"

"I know... I can't believe she came from me"

"I know what you mean" he nodded "Do you think we could... we could be together like that?"

"I don't see why not. I'd like that, to have that future... I don't mean the dying and Earth getting destroyed but having a family with you. That would be nice, you really loved us, you gave your life to protect us"

"Fat lot of good that did. You still got killed, I'm sorry I failed you Maria"

"Hey... shah that's not happened yet and we're not going to let it happen. I'm sure, now that we know about what's to come, we can stop it or change it. When Tess comes to Roswell I'm going to lay a serious smack down on her ass" she said determined to do just that. Michael couldn't help but smile, he couldn't wait to see Maria kick Tess's ass for all she'd done "So... do you want to give it a go?"

"'Give it a go?' You mean... well yeah I'd like that. But I don't really have..."

"Don't finish that thought, SpaceBoy, you've got so much to offer me. You love me and you give me a family I love more than anything. You show me how wonderful life can be... that's all I need"

"No it's not. You need so much more than that, Maria, you deserve the world!"

"That's exactly what I'm going to get! You give me yours!" she said with a warm smile. She put her hand over his just as Amy got home from work.

"I love you" he whispered, he didn't choke or stumble over his words; he meant it

"I love you too" she answered before leaning in to kiss him

"What and what? What the what?" Amy cried interrupting their happy moment. Maria went bright red and Michael just smiled. This was going to be his mother in law one day, he had to make a good impression

"Hello Ms Deluca. I'm Michael Guerin, Maria's boyfriend"

"No you're not. Maria isn't old enough to have a boyfriend yet. Scram" she said firmly before turning to Maria "You. Inside. NOW!"

"With all due respect, Amy, I wasn't asking for permission. She's my girlfriend whether you like it or not" he couldn't help but feel smug despite how the woman before he was shooting daggers at him with her eyes. Amy took in the scruffy looking boy in front of her then grabbed him by the ear and led him down the path

"Beat it" she said before turning back and ushering Maria inside

"I'll call you!" she called despite the fact that her mom was ready to kill her.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Max sat alone in the dark with his knees wrapped up against his chest. It was cold, so much colder than he was ever aware of. He was shaking nervously and kept glancing round even though he couldn't see in the dark.

He'd been patched up as best as Kivar would allow and returned to his cell. He knew that Kivar was on the war path now that Liz was gone. He didn't know if she'd been successful or if she'd been killed in the process of returning. He just couldn't sense her and it was killing him inside, he felt like he was going crazy. His memories were all fuzzy and he felt two versions of events from after he healed Liz running through his mind

"L-Liz" he stuttered against the cold. His cell door opened and he was surprised to see Brody Davis standing there, no not Brody, Larek. What was he doing here? Where was Kivar

"Zan?" he called, he had no clue if Larek was real. He couldn't trust any of his senses anymore because when they had first been brought here Kivar had used all sorts of mind tricks on him to get him and Liz to reveal things

"It's not real. It's not real. Go away. You're not real" he declared

"Max... it's me Larek. I thought you were dead!" he came into the cell and looked for any binds that were trying Max down but found none "When the alliance here on Antar picked up the energy trail from the Palace we discovered that it could only be the Granolith. Only Royals can activate the Granolith so we knew it was either you or Liz"

"It's not you. Go away. Leave me alone to die"

"Max, it's me Larek... I was wrong about you making the same mistakes. History didn't repeat itself" he said quietly. Max's eyes flicked up and saw that it was Larek and not some trick "We stormed the Palace. Kivar locked himself up inside the throne room, there's been unrest for nine long years ever since Earth was destroyed"

"Get me out of here" Max begged like a desperate, frightened child

"Yeah. Come on" he carefully lifted Max up off the floor "Where's Liz? She was with you here, wasn't she?"

"Gone. We used the Granolith. She's gone and I don't know if I'll ever see her again" he said quietly as Larek helped him out of the cell.

He had to close his eyes tight when he stepped into the light, it had been so long since he'd felt sunlight on his face. It took a while for him to become used to it and when he did he saw so many people wanting to touch him or help him. The emotion flowing through them soothed his sole and he sank against Larek, almost falling to the ground. He'd not felt peace like this in such a long time.

"Liz, I'm coming home" he whispered as he closed his eyes.

*

"We need a King!" Kathana practically yelled "That... that in there is not our king!"

"He is the king. He's the only king we've got!" Larek roared back, slamming his hands down on the table "He's been held prisoner for nine almost ten years! He's allowed to be a little out of it!"

"He passed out in the middle of addressing the planet!"

"We'd just rescued him from the Dramaas Dungeons!" he pointed out "He has every right to pass out! He's been through a lot and we need to give him time to recover"

"We don't have time Larek! We need him now! Without a king to lead us the planet will fall into disarray!"

"That didn't bother you when Kivar ruled. He wasn't a king"

"That's not fair!"

"You backed him and look what happened. Disarray!" he spat

"Larek is right. This Max is the king whether we like it or not. He carries the seal" said Sero

"Finally! Someone who agrees with me!" Larek flopped down in his seat relieved that someone was seeing sense

"But..." Sero began "He is in no state to rule and from the looks of it he won't ever be in a state to rule. Kivar broke him... I've seen people come out of those Dungeons before but not like this, not ever like this. I don't know what he did but we can't rely on Max to rule. He doesn't have an heir and that Liz woman, carrying the Third Seal is missing possibly dead... there's no other we could go to. No one else to rule. What are we gonna do?"

"We go to the backups. Find someone, anyone, who carries a strange of Royal Blood and stick them on the throne while Max is recovering" suggested Hanar

"Still I think that he'll never recover" Sero said just as the doors opened and in walked Max, he looked full of confidence despite being unconscious since the dreaded address of the planet four days ago. Sero looked at Max before looking around the room "I'd like Kivar to fall from the throne room window"

"What?" gasped Kathana

"It was a joke!" he said, Kathana quietly crept to the window and looked out to see if she could see if Kivar was falling or had fallen, she was a little upset that there was no sign of him.

"I want to know where the crystals are for me to use the Granolith" Max demanded

"What?" gasped Hanar "You can't leave! What are you going to do?"

"I need to go to Earth. Liz needs me"

"Max, we don't even know if Liz is alive"

"I know she's alive!" he replied "I need to go"

"You can't. We need someone to rule Antar"

"Please, I'll go and bring her back with me... I need her. Please"

"Max, it's no use. We can't let you go, we need you here to rule Antar. There's a lot of work needed to be done and you're the one to do it?"

"So I'm still a prisoner?"

"No. I don't consider King of the Whirlwind Galaxy a prisoner" mumbled Kathana, she ushered Max into the room so he could sit down. He still looked a little haggard and weathered from being released from the dungeons "Look, all these people here are counting on you. They need you to be King. I know this Liz girl is important to you but I promise that if you fulfil your duties as King we'll send a ship to Earth to bring her here"

"You'd do that"

"You can do that. You're King, I know as much as you want to go to her you can't but... you can send someone to get her and bring her here"

"Then I'll do that. Do it, send a ship to get her. Anyone tries to stop that ship or hurt her then kill them" he said firmly. She just nodded and left the room to get that set up.

"Okay... uhh first order of business. We still need to get Kivar out of the throne room"

"Kivar's still alive?" asked Max. He stood up sharply "That rapist monster is still alive?"

"Uh yeah. He is" replied Sero "He locked himself in the throne room. We haven't been able to get him out or negotiate with him. He's holding hostages"

"I'll kill him!" roared Max, Larek had to physically restrain him

"No Max! He must be tried by an Antarian court system"

"He raped my wife repeatedly, I felt it each and every time he did that. He knew I was going crazy because I couldn't do anything to stop him! He's going to pay! You hear that Kivar! You're going to pay! I'm coming for you now and there's no escape!" he roared, his shouts were heard all throughout the palace

"Larek, let him go. We need to be rid of Kivar and Max has certainly earned the right to put him out of his misery" said Sero. Larek just let him go and Max rushed from the room intent on finding Kivar and making him pay.

*

"What's wrong with her? Call Kal! I don't care if he's busy call him and get him down here! NOW!" Nancy cried as she changed the cold wet clothe once more. Liz was burning up and she was becoming more and more hysterical because there was no way of knowing what was wrong. Jeff hurried from the room to call Langley.

Liz was breathing hard then suddenly her eyes opened wide before closing and she gasped in another breath. Nancy slid off the side of the bed and huddled in the corner as her daughter began to float four feet above her bed

She started to cry thinking that her daughter was dying and all she could do was watch. Was this her end?

"Liz" she sobbed. Then suddenly everything went quiet, Liz floated down to her bed and the room went strangely dark.

"Mom?" she looked around sitting up, she spotted her mom sitting on the floor in the corner near the door to her bathroom

"Liz?" she whispered "Are you okay?" it seemed like a stupid question but from what she'd just seen and how she was reacting she couldn't help but ask

"I'm fine. I was carrying too much energy, I was collecting it since I'd come through time. I needed to fix it so that's what I was doing. I'm sorry I scared you" she said quietly

"I called Kal! He's on his way... Liz" gasped Jeff as he burst into the room

"Dad. It's okay... I'm okay" she told him. He slowly sank down onto the floor, he'd thought the same as Nancy. He'd been powerless as he thought his daughter was dying in front of his eyes.

Liz slipped from the bed and sat next to her mom, the only light came from her bathroom and no one moved to change that "I was collecting energy from the Granolith, energy needed to sustain me. I became overwhelmed by it. All my systems were shutting down and I was reliving each memory over and over again... I needed to tap into the Granolith and make a connection with it. I needed to break the flow of energy it was sending me. I've done that and I'm okay now"

"But Liz... all your memories. We saw everything that happened to you... how can you be okay after that?" Jeff couldn't help but ask

"Because I have to be" she replied firmly

"But how?" Nancy continued to ask. Liz jumped up angrily away from her mother and began to pace the room

"Because I have to be!" she repeated much louder this time "You think I really want to think about what he did to me? About what I had to do? I don't want to remember what he did! Why are you making me?!"

"We're not Liz. We just want to look after our baby" Jeff told her quietly. Liz sighed brushing her hair back behind her ear

"I can't... I can't face this. You know everything now and you're going to remind me of it, aren't you? I can't be around you if you're going to do that to me"

"Forgetting everything isn't the way, Liz" urged her mother "You need to talk to someone! You need help!"

"Who is it that's going to listen to me? As soon as I mention aliens and different planets and the world ending they'd lock me up! If I hadn't shown you my memories and if you hadn't found my journal would you believe me?" both her parents fell into silence.

The apartment was completely quiet but Liz suddenly perked up, she looked around then quickly pulled her dad into her room

"What?" he mouthed, she just gestured for him to be quiet. She carefully crept out avoiding floorboards she knew that creaked, she came into the living room then stopped when she saw Langley standing there. She sighed in relief

"Kal!" she snapped "What are you doing here?"

"Your dad called me... said you weren't feeling too good" he replied sounding unconvinced that it was Liz standing in front of him

"Well I'm fine..."

"Prove it" he demanded with his hand on the ready to blast her

"I had two babies" she said quietly and he let his hand drop "Since you're here... there's another thing I want you to do for me, after making sure that Alex is safely away from Tess"

"Sure... what is it?" he looked put out, this new queen was going to run his raggered

"Go to New York and bring Zan and Ava here to Roswell"

"Why just them? What about the other two? Rath and Vilandra's copies?"

"They can't be trusted. She makes a deal with Nicholas and Kivar to return home and Rath kills Zan"

"Why do you want them to come here? You never met Zan"

"No, but I met Ava and she fought in the resistance. She's innocent in all this and I don't want her to go through what she did"

"Fine. You got it, your highness" he said derogatively. She just glared at him as he walked past her and left.

Liz sighed then walked back to her room were her parents were still sitting on the floor. Jeff had moved over to where Nancy was sat and was holding her in his arms

"It was just Kal. He's gone, it's okay" she explained, both of them let out a big sigh of relief "Mom, dad... I want to move out"

"What? No! You're only sixteen!" Nancy protested as she rose to her feet to argue with her little girl

"Mom, I'm forty three. I'm older than both of you, I know you don't like it but I need the space to come and go as I please"

"So you can fight Kivar?" asked Jeff "Okay"

"No! Jeff! Not okay! She's just a kid! I don't care if she thinks she's forty three! She's still our little girl!"

"Yes, she's our little girl and that's why we have to let her go. Do you really think we'd stop her if she wanted to leave? She has all this insight into things! She's asking us... asking for our permission. She wants our permission to do this... if she didn't have it that wouldn't stop her. She'd just go around us! This way we can still keep an eye on her, still be a part of her life! If we deny her this then we'll be cut from her life. Don't you understand?" he asked his wife and she just stared at him in disbelief

"Dad's right. I could just go to Phillip Evans and ask to be emancipated. I'd have Langley back me with enough money and I'd get a job elsewhere. I need you to understand why I'm doing this, I want to protect you as well"

"God Liz! You shouldn't have to think about protecting us" Nancy cried as she moved to pull her daughter into her arms "You're just a kid. We should be protecting you"

"I can protect myself. I just don't want anything bad to happen to you; I don't want some alien to come and take you in an attempt to get to me or Max. Can I really be sure that wouldn't happen if I stayed here?"

"Please Liz... think about this"

"I have and I think it's the best thing for me to do. I need the space and I need a place where we can go to avoid attacks and train ourselves up. I also need to make people believe that we're distant that way if an alien does come then he or she would think it would be useless to use you against me"

"Are you sure about this?" asked Jeff and she nodded "Then we'll start looking tomorrow after you've gotten home from school"

"Thank you" she smiled

"I can't agree to this!" Nancy protested "This is all wrong!"

"Then I'll cut you out of my life. I don't need someone whose going to just stand in my way" she said coldly before leaving the room "I'm going to watch some TV"

*

"Well?" Amy demanded as she stood there with her arms crossed and her foot tapping on the linoleum floor

"Well what?" Maria replied as she sat at the table

"Well I want to know why you think you're old enough to have a boyfriend?" she shot back calmly, her words betraying her tone

"Mom... Michael..." she began but Amy cut her off

"I want to know everything" she snapped, her temper spiralling out of control "I want to know how long you've been seeing him. I want to know how far your relationship is with him, I want to know where he lives. Who his parents are, where he works... what school he goes to- if he even goes to school. I want to know his grades and I want to know who his friends are"

"Mom!" she protested but it fell on deaf ears "He's a good guy and I'm sixteen! I'm old enough to decide who I want to date"

"Yes! You are sixteen! And you're my daughter! I am not having you throw your life away. You're too young, that's the end of it"

"I love him mom and he loves me"

"You're too young to realise that he isn't interested in love! He just wants in your pants and I will do whatever I need to keep you from making that mistake"

"You're wrong about Michael, mom" she whispered quietly "He does love me, I'm the only girl he'll ever love. If things go bad I know that he'd give his life for me and our children"

"Children?" Amy blinked "You're pregnant? He got you pregnant?"

"No I'm not pregnant. Not year... it'll be a few years before that happens. You don't won't have to worry about me becoming a teen parent. I'll be at least twenty before I have my kids"

Amy shook her head before putting her hand to her forehead, sighing deeply. She sat down at the table

"I want you to stop seeing him-"

"No" Maria interrupted her "That's something that'll never happen. Mom, I really care about him and I'm asking you to respect that. I'm not going to do something stupid, besides we only became official about fifteen minutes ago. Please mom, let me date him, I'll tell you anything and everything about him. You can have him round to dinner and interrogate him all you want, just please... I'm begging you here. He means more to me than you'll ever know and I'm asking you, begging you to let him be in my life"

"He really means this much to you?"

"Yeah he does" she nodded, Amy sighed then laid both hands down on the table

"Okay. You can date him but you follow my rules. I want to meet him and get to know him, you can go out on dates but only on the weekend never on a school night. I want to meet his parents and I want to know his grades and his hours if he works"

"Done" Maria nodded and they both shook hands.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Michael got home and it was quiet, he'd learnt so much today and even though it had been scary it had opened his eyes. Maria and him were now together and he was going to do everything to make her happy, he was going to give her his world just like she'd said.

But now that he was back home at his trailer and his world was so small and it wasn't a happy one, how could he give that to Maria? He needed to make himself better so he could make her happy, he needed a job and needed to get out of this place. He didn't want Maria to see this dump

"Where were you?" Hank demanded, he looked up and was surprised to see him standing there. He was even more surprised to see a trendy woman just reaching her forties standing right next to Hank

"Oh, is this your son?" she asked warmly

"Yeah... my son Mickey"

"My name's Michael" he answered roughly "Lady, what are you doing with a drunk, child abusing, lazy slob like him?"

"Michael! That's a laugh..." he chuckled nervously "The kid's got a great sense of humour"

"Hank was telling me about he looks after you and how he encourages you to do your best in school"

"What's going on? Who are you? Hank doesn't do any of that stuff. I don't know what tales he's been spinning to you but that's absolute crap"

"Michael... why don't you go to your room so me and this nice lady can talk. You can do your homework before dinner"

"Are you going to throw ingredients at me and demand me to make you a meal again?"

"You threw stuff at him?" she gasped incredulously, Hank laughed and shook his head before a little too roughly playfully rubbed Michael's hair

"He's got a real funny sense of humour. I've never thrown stuff at him" he announced

"It was last night!" he protested

"Mr Whitmore" began the woman "I don't think that this home is a suitable environment for Michael"

"No it is. It is, he's just messing" he said trying to back track

"Michael, my name is Annie Brooks. I'm a social worker and I'm coming to check up on some complaints neighbours made. I think that it'd be best if you were removed from this home and taken back into care"

"What? No! I don't want to go into care! I'll be separated from all my friends and family! I don't want to leave my brother and sister!"

"Brother and sister? My records show that you're an only child here" she said as she picked up a folder and flipped through it

"Max and Isabel, they're my brother and sister" he announced "When I was found in the desert they were found a week before. I was out there for a full week... I remember them. I remember walking around holding their hands. We're triplets"

"That is something I have to check on... but for now I think you better get your stuff and come with me"

"Where are you taking me?" he asked

"Back to the care home. There should be an available bed tonight and tomorrow we'll discuss what we're going to do" she said, Michael grabbed all his stuff and shoved it in his backpack

"Fine, I'm ready to go. I want to get the ball rolling on becoming emancipated tomorrow" he said "I need to turn my life around. I want to get a job to better myself and support myself"

"That's good Michael"

"Wait! What about me?" asked Hank "Will I still be getting the cheque each month?"

"No. You won't... and if we find out that the money wasn't spent on giving Michael and good and happy life then you'd have to pay it back"

"You can't do that" he cried

"Oh we can and will. You'll be hearing from us Mr Whitmore, let's go Michael" she said then ushered him out of the trailer to her car. Michael stared at the car before grinning widely, suddenly everything clicked into place.

Michael slid into the passenger seat as Annie Brooks climbed into the driver's side and started the car. After five minutes Michael couldn't help it, he'd kept the charade up long enough

"So where are we really going Langley?"

"How did you know it was me?" asked 'Annie' with a smirk

"That car. It was the same one you were driving before, I remembered"

"Smart. We're going to my hotel room and tomorrow... we'll look for a place for you. I hear Liz is looking to move out. Maybe you could get a place with her since she is your sister in law?"

"Sounds like a plan... and Langley?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks" said Michael warmly. He never imagined how fast things would change for the better, he was glad that Max healed Liz... he was glad that she'd brought so much hope in his life.

*

She looked round the place and nodded in appreciation, she tested all the doors for thickness and sturdiness. She checked the windows to see how easy they were to open and lastly she made sure that there was another way to get out if people were coming in the front; there was a fire escape at the back of the building. Liz nodded

"This place is good" she told the realtor, her dad was standing by the doorway and despite agreeing to his he was still upset that she wanted to move out of her childhood home "I'll start moving my stuff in after school"

"After school?" he gasped "Don't you want to wait a bit?"

"Why?" she asked him blankly "I need to be free to come and go whenever I want... and I need to tell Michael... he needs to get out of that place" she wandered off talking to herself, making plans

"Michael?"

"Yeah, I want Michael to come and live here with me"

"But what about Max?" he asked incredulously, the realtor just watched the two of them with interested eyes.

"What about him? Michael's my brother, I'm not leaving him to Hank anymore. I don't want that monster using my brother as a punching bag or target practice. Besides, I have no chance with Michael... he's madly in love with Maria"

"Okay... I'll sign for this place and you better get to school" he said finally before a smile played on his lips, he added "You have a lot more people relying on you now than me and your mother... your highness" Liz was smiling as she left the building and went downstairs to find Max waiting for her in his jeep

"Morning!" he couldn't believe she was so cheerful when she'd been close to breaking down the night before. She climbed into the jeep and startled him by learning over invading his space. Their lips touched and his eyes fluttered close, his hand rose up to tangle in her hair and hold her there, the kiss deepened and he lost all sense of time and place. Stars exploded behind his eyes and he got brief flashes of all the times from her line that they'd made out.

She pulled away and he just sat there dazed, she couldn't help but giggle at how he rubbed his fingertips over his mouth "You want me to drive?"

"Oh uhh... yeah, school, yeah" he stumbled as he started his car and drove them both to school.

Without a second thought Liz climbed out of the jeep, grabbed her bag and held out her hand for Max. He just stared at her in disbelief

"Are you coming?"

"No, I want to talk to you first..." he began she could tell he was nervous so she quickly slid back into the passenger seat

"Is it about last night?"

"No. Yes.... Look Liz, I really care about you... a lot. You know this... but you're married"

"Yes I am... I'm married to you" she answered him but he firmly shook his head

"No, not to me. To the Max from your time line... I'm not him Liz and as much as I love you I don't want you to be with me just because we're the same person. He's got all these years on me and knowledge I don't. Can you really be happy with me? I'm not the guy you married, I don't want you to have to settle"

"Max... whether you're forty three years or sixteen years old you'll always be my husband. I fell in love with you when we were both sixteen and nothing can change that. Yes I am married but that's in the future... it hasn't happened yet"

But it has for you... I don't want you to hate me for not being the same..."

"Max" she whispered stopping from talking "I got married to you when I was nineteen. I love you... all versions of you, no matter what. For now... we're not married, I guess we'd have to start over... that's if you'll have me. I'd like to be your girlfriend"

"I'd like that too. Of course I'd have you, I'd be crazy not too" he replied slowly leaning in to brush his mouth against hers "Now let's go to class"

"One day Max... one day we'll be married" she said as he helped her down from the jeep

"Yeah... one day. Just not today" he linked fingers with her and walked into school.

*

He paced the floor of his room, he'd been up all night pretty much pacing... his mind was too full for him to get any rest. He'd seen through her eyes, he'd seen everything and how Max had saved his life when he got shot. He saw the death of his father... hell even his own death! He saw how close he became with Isabel when they were on the road, he even saw how Alex died and what Tess made him do. As soon as he got in and saw his room he had to hit the bathroom to throw up... someone died in his room. No, he thought... someone will die... he shook his head. The worst part about it was he felt like he lived it, like it had already happened. He felt every emotion, every thought she felt and it was driving him crazy; he didn't want this knowledge in his head!

His alarm rang and he glared at it, it stopped abruptly and slowly began to melt. He backed away and wanted to curl up in the corner but someone knocked at his door

"Kyle?"

"Dad" he greeted him as his dad came in

"How you doing?"

"I couldn't sleep... been awake all night" he replied and Jim nodded, Kyle flopped down on the bed brushing his hair back with his fingers

"Me too" said Jim "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No" his son shook his head "I don't. Dad... is all that really going to happen?"

"I hope not" he said with a sigh "That's why she came back though, that's why she used the Granolith to come back here so all that wouldn't happen. I'm going to help her, whatever she needs me to do in order for that crap... to stop it then I'm there"

"Dad..." he began "I'm there too... I would have died if it weren't for them... I will die if things don't get changed... all of Earth. Whatever she needs me to do then I'll be there to help her"

"Good, I think you should get ready for school now" he said finally and Kyle sighed

"It's insane to be thinking about school... I feel like I should be training or building my powers up to fight so we have a better chance"

"Powers? You haven't got them yet, you're not been healed" he pointed out, Kyle just pointed at his alarm clock

"I don't know how it happened but I have powers now. You think that Liz did something to me during that connection thing yesterday?"

"I don't know... I don't know how this works, you can ask her when you see her at school. Does it bother you?"

"No, I thought it would but it doesn't. It just means I can protect myself and the people I care about like Isabel and... oh my God. Alex!"

"That wasn't your fault, she mindwarped you"

"But still... how am I going to face him? How can I even hang around with him knowing that I was the one who carried out his body?"

"Kyle... it wasn't your fault. You were being controlled"

"But I knew what she could do! I should have fought against her! I shouldn't have let her do that to me!" he was becoming hysterical

"Son, it wasn't your fault" Jim grabbed him by the shoulders and tried to make him believe it. Kyle started to cry and all Jim could do was hold him as he sobbed

"I'm sorry dad. I'm sorry that I did that"

"Hey... shhh. If you want I'll call the school and we'll both just stay here and talk about it today, if you want"

"No, dad, that's okay" he sniffed and wiped his nose with the back of his hand "I need to talk to Max and Liz... I'm going to ask if I can go with Langley, now that I know I have powers I want him to help me strengthen them so I can protect my family"

"Okay" he said with a nod, Jim said nothing about Alex going too and that Kyle would be around him most of the time; he figured that his son had realised that and bringing it up would only upset him more.

Kyle drove to school just in time to see Max and Liz walking in holding hands, he wasn't surprised to say the least and the anger and jealousy he'd felt over Liz dumping him had gone away; he knew that they were meant to be together and they'd end up together no matter what he did. From what he saw in the future he'd gotten close to Isabel but there wasn't really anyone in his life; he'd died a single and lonely guy

"That's not going to happen to me. I'm not dying without someone to love and miss me" he said to himself.

*

"Yes, hello is this Laurie DuPree?" asked Kal as he sat in his hotel room. Michael had stayed with him last night and he'd gone on and on about how he wanted to rescue Laurie because she was like a sister to him. Much to his annoyance Kal found himself on the phone to her aunt and uncle in Tucson

"She's not here at the moment... who can I say is calling" asked the woman, presumably Meredith

"I'm an old family friend of her grandpa's... I was just wondering if I could talk to her?"

"I'm sorry but Laurie isn't well. She's staying at Pinecrest Psychiatric Institute until she gets better" said Meredith intent on that being the last of it and he could tell she was about to hang up

"Meredith isn't it? My name is Kal Langley and I have a few bits of information that you might find interesting"

"Are you trying to black mail me Mr Langley?"

"You're lucky that I'm doing just that because if I had my way I'd remove you from the picture entirely. Now, I know that you're paying the good people at Pinecrest to say that Laurie is crazy so you can stay at her grandfather's house which was willed to her after Charles DuPree passed away"

"That's nonsense"

"I have all the details in front of me. I want you out of that house by five pm this afternoon and I want Laurie DuPree released and on a plane to Roswell New Mexico as soon as possible. If either of those terms fails to come to pass then I'll go to the authorities with what you've done then I'll be coming after you"

"And what do you get out of it?" she asked coldly

"All I want is it get Laurie away from people like you. My original offer stands, I'll be sending my people to make sure you're gone" he said then hung up.

He sighed deeply then lit up a cigar, it was all he needed! Another person to look after, he'd have to let her stay at his place until she was well enough to move back home. With Michael being there, he could look after her, she was related to him after all. She could be Michael's problem.

He got up and shifted into a button down white collar business man, grabbed his brief case and headed to West Roswell. He was going to sort out a training program for gifted students; mainly Michael, Maria and Alex... he wouldn't be surprised if some of the others wanted to come too but he was only going to have space for four people now that Laurie would probably be staying with him for a short time. He was quickly running out of rooms in his big Los Angeles house that he'd prided himself for maintaining; God only knew how those 'kids' were going to ruin it on him.

*

Jeff quietly shut the door to their apartment behind him and crept in. He didn't want to disturb Nancy, she'd been so upset about Liz moving out; she'd be furious knowing that he'd put down the deposit for a place for her. At least it was only a few blocks down the street and if she ever needed her parents then they wouldn't be too far away... but _if_ was the key word there.

"You found her a place didn't you" he stopped short and saw Nancy sitting on Liz's bed folding her clothes that had been scattered round "Jeff, are we doing the right thing?"

"I don't know, Nancy, I don't know. But what alternative do we have? If we don't support her on this then she could make a big mistake and this is much bigger than missing a rent payment or forgetting to pay a bill"

"I know. It's still not fair that our little girl has the weight of two worlds on her shoulders! How can she handle the pressure?"

"Because she's our daughter and we raised her to do just that. I'm proud of her Nancy, so very proud of her and I think we did a really good job" he said as he sat down next to her "Not only does she become end up marrying a king but she works hard in trying to save the planet. She's mastered time travel and travelled to another world... she's given so much and if that isn't worth of being proud of then I don't know what is"

"But she shouldn't have to do those things. It's not fair on her"

"I know but it's her choice. Some things were out of her hands but I have a feeling she wouldn't have traded the bad times because then she'd have to trade everything and the good outweighed the bad. She had a happy life and she had people who loved her and now... she's got the chance to make everything right. She's got another chance to turn the bad things around and have nothing but good. That's what you want for her isn't it?"

"Yes it is. After what she's been through she deserves it... the only thing that bothers me is that if she succeeds then she'll still remember all the bad stuff"

"We can't do anything about that. We can only support her and make her memories happy instead of bad"

"Okay" she nodded

"I think I better tell you this now... after Michael is all trained up she wants him to live with her"

"What about Max?"

"What about him? She said Michael was her brother and wanted to protect him from Hank his foster father. Besides from what I saw last night when we saw her memories Michael is a pretty stand up guy... if he's the one to make Maria Deluca an honest woman then he's got more than bravery needed"

"You're right there. I'm going to miss Maria when she's away... when they come back we have to hire Michael to work in the kitchen. He's going to need money to support Maria and the twins" she said "God! They haven't even got together yet and I'm already talking about their kids!"

"I know. It feels like all that's happened doesn't it, even though none of its even started I feel like I've been through all those years. I hope that this time I get to give my little girl away when she gets married"

"You will do" she said finally with a warm smile "Now why don't you go and keep an eye on the cafe so I can actually get this folding done" he took the hint and headed back downstairs.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

It was quiet and that wasn't how she normally behaved. He opened the door to her room that was little more than a padded cell and found it empty. Again.

"God Dammit!" he roared "Get security! Laurie's gone again!" the girl had her own standard procedure because she was running off so often, how she even got out was beyond them because every time she was brought back they increased security on her room.

After the good doctor was gone Laurie dropped down from above her door, the great thing about her room being so small was that she could climb up and hold herself above the door with her hands on one wall and her feet on the opposite one. They usually left the door open after discovering she was 'gone' and then she would make her escape; it had always worked because they were always looking for her elsewhere.

She crept out of her room, down the hall and carefully climbed out the window dropping two storeys then sprinting flat out across the yard towards the fence. She was up and over it before anyone realised that the window had been opened!

Laurie hid in the bushes as she changed her clothes with a flick of her wrist, ever since before she could remember she could do things that other people couldn't; she'd never shown anyone because her aunt and uncle had locked her up claiming she was insane when she wasn't, God only knew what they'd do to her if they found out she was different.

"Are you going to crouch there all day or are you going to get in the car and get out of here?" asked a strong, smoke worn voice. She looked up to see a middle aged man with greying blonde hair wearing an odd hat staring at her expectantly

"Who are you?"

"My name's Joey Ferrini and I work for a Mr Kal Langley. He's asked me to fetch you from Pinecrest, it turns out you have family in Roswell... you have a brother"

"A brother? Wait? How do I know I can trust you?"

"Because your brother and my employer are both alien like you... like your grandfather was" he explained "Now do you really want to stay here or do you want to come with me? I know what you are and I know that at any time you could get away from me if you so wanted to"

"Give me some proof" she demanded, he sighed and pulled out a picture and handed it to her

"This is your brother Michael Guerin" he explained and she went pale. Without another word she slipped the photo into her newly made pocket and got in the car

"I'm ready to go to Roswell" she said calmly and he nodded, climbed in and started the engine. Within minutes they were under way on their journey to Roswell.

Laurie still didn't know if she could trust the person driving but it was true that she could use her powers to defend herself and she wanted to meet this Michael person who looked like a mirror image of her grandfather and claimed to be her brother.

"Why Roswell?"

"I don't know. All I know is that my boss called me up and told me I had to pick you up, I didn't expect you to be breaking out. Made my job easier though"

"How did he know about me?"

"Apparently this Michael guy, your brother, and his friends knew about you. He wanted to get you out of Pinecrest; he knows all about what your aunt and uncle were doing"

"Then why not go to the police?"

"I think it's because he's alien... but much more so than you. From what I gather you're only alien because your granddaddy had his genes jiggered way back when... your brother is a hybrid"

"How do you know so much about it?"

"I listen. That's the thing in this business. You gotta listen!" he said "If you don't then you don't get nowhere. I heard all about his intel gathering, hell I even did some myself... I know enough about the Roswell Aliens"

"So there's more of them... not just my brother?" she couldn't help but ask, if she had family... family that actually cared about her well being then she wanted to know all about them

"Technically Michael is like a cousin to you... he's in the foster care system but he claims that two other kids, who were adopted, are his brother and sister"

"Who are they? Do they look like my family too? Like my grandparents"

"I don't know. All I know are their names, Max and Isabel Evans" he told her, he was getting tired of twenty questions and wished she'd shut up so he could concentrate on the road and get there quicker so he could hand her over and get paid.

"And they're aliens too? Are there anymore?"

"Well there's Liz... I'm not sure exactly what she is because she's supposed to be human... but she has powers enough to time travel. I don't think she's related to you. You'll find out when we get there, but for now why don't you get some sleep or something?"

"I don't want to. You might do something to me while I'm sleeping, I don't trust you but you're taking me away from that awful place and I'm not going to let my guard down just because you're helping me"

"Wise, kid, very wise" he said "Well then shut up. I want quiet while I'm driving"

"Fine" she said then snapped on the radio. He glared at her before putting his eyes back on the road; at least she wasn't asking him questions.

*

"I'm going to miss you!" said Liz as she hugged her best friend, then she hugged Michael pulling Alex close too "And the two of you! You're like brothers to me!"

"We'll miss you too Liz" said Alex

"Yeah, what he said" Michael added his mouth turned up at the corners. Kal just stood there looking annoyed that he'd have to put up with these kids. Laurie stood in the background fluttering nervously after being dropped off by Joey, Kal's lackey.

"Wait! Wait!" called Kyle as he came running over carrying a hold all "I want to go too"

"I'm not surprised" said Liz when he reached them "I already asked Kal if it was okay for you to go. He made arrangements and made a space for you... figured now that you have powers you'd want to be with your own kind" she said as she linked fingers with Max

"How did you know I had powers?" he asked as he tried to get his breath back

"Perk of being part alien, I could sense you" she replied with a smile "You better go, it's going to be a long drive to Los Angeles"

"I'll call you and email you... everyday" Alex said as he said goodbye to Isabel

"You better" she said trying to not cry "I'm going to miss you. Be careful"

"You too" he said, then kissed her softly before getting in the car.

Maria and Michael were already sitting the back, Kyle squeezed in the back of the car with them while Laurie squeezed in next to Alex while Langley drove. They'd have to make do until they got to the private airport where Kal's jet was sitting waiting for them

"I'm going to miss them" said Max and the two girls nodded "All of them... even Kyle" which brought a chuckle

"I should be going home" said Liz

"We'll drive you" said Isabel, she was still a little emotional and didn't want to part from her brother and one of her closest friends just yet.

They got in the jeep and headed to the CrashDown. Instead of parting ways, all three of them got out and went into the cafe; since Maria was going to be away for a while Liz was taking over her shifts. Isabel had offered to help out, mainly to keep her mind off Alex being gone, but Liz had shook her head saying she could handle it.

"Yo! Yo! Yo! Isabel Evans!" called Tommy Hoag "You're looking mighty fine today, if I must say so"

Isabel completely ignored Tommy, walking past him like he wasn't there and sat down in a booth with her brother sitting opposite.

Liz went into the back to get changed for work, a few minutes later she emerged as she tied her apron round her to see Tommy sitting at the same booth of Max and Isabel. He couldn't sense that they didn't want him there and if he could then he was clearly ignoring it as he tried to get into Isabel's pants

"Come on... just catch a movie with me... that's all I'm asking"

"No. I'm with Alex now, I'm not going anywhere with anyone else even if it is just a 'movie'. No thanks"

"Well are you doing anything on Friday? We could go to UFOnics"

"Didn't you just hear her?" Max snapped, annoyed that this guy was trying it on with his sister right before him "She doesn't want to go anywhere with anyone, least of all you"

"I'll let her decide thank you"

"You should listen to my brother... I'm not interested in you"

"Why? I'm a good looking guy and you're a hot girl. I know a lot of girls who'd give their right arm to catch a movie with me"

"Then why don't you bug them" said Liz as she came to take their orders. She'd caught the tail end of the conversation but had figured out what Tommy wanted

"Funny Parker" he said curtly, then smirked as his eyes rove up and down her figure

"Feisty... maybe you want some of my time"

"Don't flatter yourself, I'm spoken for and with a much better guy"

"Who? Whose better than me?" he feigned surprised, looking almost hurt

"My boyfriend Max" she nodded at Max and Tommy scowled

"You and Parker are shacking up? I thought she was with Kyle"

"Kyle couldn't even compete" Liz replied honestly, the smirked mischievously "You've got no chance. Not with me, not with Isabel and certainly not Max. I'm sorry but he just doesn't swing your way"

"Screw you I'm not gay!" he stood up sharply "Want me to prove it, darlin?" he drawled looming closer to her. Max saw red and jumped up quickly to punch Tommy's lights out but Liz got there first, she grabbed his arm spun him round twisting his arm up his back then kicked him in the back of the knee so he yelped in pain

"People who try and molest the waitresses here aren't welcome" she said as she escorted him, limping from the cafe "I suggest you go off and cool down before you come back for seconds"

Max was smirking at her despite being a little worried about her; he was glad that she could protect and defend herself but he was a little upset that she hadn't needed him. His pride as a guy was slightly bruised

"Very impressive" he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist

"Well it helps that I can look after myself. When we were in Ohio you and Michael encouraged us girls to take defence classes... Kyle even convinced us all to take some classes on relaxation and therapy..."

"I remember" he replied "I remember from when you showed me. Since you know all this stuff maybe you can teach me and Isabel? Since Michael, Maria, Kyle and Alex are away training and for protection maybe we could get in some training too?"

"Do you want to do that tomorrow?" Liz asked both of them and Isabel nodded

"Sure..." she answered then looked at her watch "Max, we should be getting home... oh have you asked Liz about dinner?"

"Dinner?" she asked as a smile spread across her face

"My parents want to meet you. Maybe after we've had a lesson tomorrow you could come back with me?"

"I'd like that... I'm going to be busy later on tonight" she explained "I'm taking some of my stuff over to my new apartment"

"New apartment?" asked Isabel

"My parents let me move out. I told them that I'd need space for Czechoslovakian related emergencies if they ever arose and we'd all need a place to hide out if things go bad" Isabel said nothing but she was sure that both Max and Liz had the same idea in mind and it had nothing to do with things going bad.

"Max, I'm going to wait in the jeep" she said not wanting to see their soppy goodnight; she was partly upset that Alex wasn't here for that. She was already missing him.

Max softly brushed his mouth against Liz's and she sighed against him as flashes from the happy part of her life flashed against her eyes but the strangest thing was that they came from him; that's what he thought about when he was near her and he was a little embarrassed for her to discover that.

"I'll see you tomorrow at school, goodnight Liz" he said and they he was gone. She sighed and got back to work... she had a few more hours before her shift ended then she'd be packing and moving stuff to her new apartment.

*

They had arrived late at Langley's so it had been the consensus to just head to bed. Kal had stalked off disappearing as soon as he'd explained to, his housekeeper, Consuela that they'd be staying with him for a while and that they should be shown to their rooms.

Naturally, she'd shown them to their rooms, each of them had a room to themselves. All of the kids had been fine with that except the tall gruff scruffy haired boy and girl with short blonde hair; they'd demanded that they room together so after consulting with her employee they'd been given the large guest bedroom at the end of the hall.

It had been relatively quiet since that and she'd finished her sweep of the kitchen and gone to bed; Consuela had only heard their names through their conversation and now she was trying to memorise them. Michael and Maria were the couple who'd argued about being separated, Kyle was the shortest boy while the tall and lanky boy was Alex and lastly the other girl was called Laurie... from what she gathered about the last girl was that she'd been through something awful and it was having quite an effect on her enough to make her withdrawn from the group. She didn't know why but she had a feeling that these kids would be around for a while and they had something to do with where Kal Langley came from.

Kyle couldn't sleep, he'd been awake for the past two hours and sleep just hadn't come. His mind just wouldn't go to sleep and he'd thought nonstop about his powers; he was a little worried because the night before he hadn't slept at all and tonight was looking to be the same. He'd never stayed up all night two days in a row and he was worried this would affect him.

"Is this an alien symptom?" he wondered aloud, he sat up and sighed. Maybe because he was in Los Angeles and maybe it was because he was staying in a really big expensive house with the most famous director in all of Hollywood.

He looked out the window at the pool below and wondered if a swim would help, he hoped Kal wouldn't mind him going for a swim in the middle of the night. He got changed into his trunks and left the room only to stop when he heard strange desperate moans coming from the room next to his. Thankfully he knew that it wasn't Maria or Michael engaged in extracurricular activities on their 'foreign exchange student trip to Sweden' because they were in a room down the hall back they way he'd come. No, the room before him was Laurie's room. He knocked on the door and when there was no answer he opened it a crack to see Laurie thrashing about on her bed in the midst of a violent dream.

"Laurie? Are you okay?"

"Nuuuuooo" she groaned, before yelling "NO!" he didn't know if it was just sleep talk or if she was actually answering him. Kyle came further into her room "No! Please don't let them take me away! I'm not crazy! Antarians! Evil Antarians! They're going to come and get me! Nicholas! No! Stop! Leave her alone! Vilandra! No! ZAN! Please aunt Meredith... they're just dreams..."

"Laurie?" Kyle whispered as she tossed and turned; he recognised those names from the flashes Liz had given him the other day. It seemed like an eternity ago that he'd stood in the desert with her and the others. Somehow Laurie had dreams... "You're dreaming... wake up"

"Zan, you can't trust him... Kivar..." her head rolled from side to side as the dreams seemed to pick up in intensity "Kivar. Kivar! NOOOOOOO!" she screamed jerking up in bed with a loud scream. Whatever she'd been dreaming about had scared her and it had come as no surprise to him because he'd been shown exactly what a monster Kivar was.

As soon as she jerked up in bed her arms had grabbed for the closest thing to her which had been Kyle. She burst out crying as she clung to him and he could do nothing but hug her back trying to soothe her

"It's okay, it's okay" he said calmly as he stroked her back

"He was torturing me! He killed Zan and Ava, Vilandra was an accident and he was torturing me!" she sobbed

"It's okay Laurie... I've got you. You're safe"

"Laurie?" she sat back looking at him in surprise then it slowly dawned on her "Oh... it was a dream"

"Are you okay?" he asked and she nodded, she was wide awake now and she had a feeling that she would be for a while; with the effect of the dream scaring her enough to avoid laying back in bed

"Yeah" she answered quietly "What are you doing up? I didn't wake you did I?"

"No, I've been awake for ages. I was going to go for a swim when I heard you talking in your sleep"

"Oh... thanks" she said quietly

"What were you dreaming about?"

"You'd probably think this is silly but for as long as I could remember I dreamt that I was this man who lived on a dusty desert planet. I was called Rath and I was best friends with the King..."

"Laurie..." he began instantly knowing that she had Michael's memories, even though he didn't know how that was possible "Do you know why you're here?"

"Because Michael's my brother. That's what Joey told me when he was driving me to Roswell" she stated, apart from a brief conversation with Michael on Kal's private jet she hadn't really started to get to know her brother "And I'm part alien..."

"It's more than that" he said with a sigh, then looked distantly at her door "You want to go get some ice cream or something?" he asked and she nodded.

The two of them headed downstairs and sat in the kitchen eating ice cream they'd raided from Kal's freezer.

"A long time ago on a planet called Antar. There were four people called the Royal Four, they were Zan, Ava, Vilandra and Rath"

"Wait, you mean what I dreamt about is real?"

"Yeah... I'll get to that. I didn't exactly get told this story, I got shown it by a really incredible girl called Liz"

"She's alien too? Right, like me... and you?" she asked as she dipped her spoon in the tub and got more of the frozen desert

"In a way yeah she is and this is the only time I'll refer to myself as alien, I am too" he nodded "Now can I tell my story?" she smirked at him as he was trying to be all serious; she couldn't help but think he was cute like that. She gestured with her hand for him to continue

"Anyway what I know is that a bad guy called Kivar came and killed them. They were recreated by a cloning process... they were recreated as alien human hybrids, human donors were chosen as part of that process. Your grandfather was one of them; he's Michael's donor... I think somehow he was given Rath's memories and they were passed down to you. It's possible that whatever your aunt and uncle did to you... the meds you were given brought them out for you to remember"

"Then I should be human. If my grandfather wasn't an alien but human then how can I do the things I can do?"

"You can do stuff? Like what?" he asked, she set her spoon down on the counter held her hand above it and it changed bending and twisting before it returned to its original shape "That's alien right?"

"Yeah... it is... look I don't have all the answers. A few days ago I didn't even know aliens existed now I'm staying with them and I'm becoming one"

"What happened?"

"Well about a week ago my ex girlfriend got shot. A few days ago she gathered us all together and she showed us events that happened over thirty years from now into the future; apparently she'd come back from the future using a machine. I think she did something when she showed me... but now I'm part alien. I came here to get a handle on my powers so I can protect my family"

"Wow. For someone who hasn't known long you're doing really well" she commented, he smiled ducking his head as he got more ice cream from the tub

"Thanks but because Liz showed me I have all these memories in my head. I even saw how I would die if things continued down that path. It's like I've got the same insight into what's to come and I want to be strong"

"What's Michael like?" she asked casually changing the subject a little

"Michael?" he repeated "Well I don't really know him. From the memories Liz gave me I know that he died trying to protect Maria and their children. I know that he saved you from your aunt and uncle... heh in that time line. He found out what they were doing; he and Maria blackmailed them and put a stop to it"

"It's strange knowing that someone actually cares about me. Heh, it's even stranger knowing that it's an alien. My own family who are mostly human don't give a damn about me"

"Well you have a chance to be a part of Michael's family and from what I know it's a pretty good one"

"So Michael and Maria get married and have kids in the future? She'll be my sister in law" she mumbled "What's Maria like?"

"She's Liz's best friend and incredibly loyal if not a little wacky but she suits Michael well and I have a feeling she'd be a really good sister in law"

"I get why they're here and I get why you're here but what about the other guy?" she inquired and his mood darkened suddenly and somehow she knew that this was a rough subject for him

"Alex" he said quietly, he got scooped up more ice cream and fell quiet "He's here for safety. In a few months a girl called Tess comes to Roswell. She essentially uses her powers against him until his mind is completely destroyed... she then used her powers on me making me think his body was luggage and got me to drag it out to her car"

"My God!" she gasped "So he can't go back to Roswell?"

"Not until he's learnt how to protect his mind from her. That's why he's here, Langley's going to teach him"

"Can you do what Liz did? You said she showed you what's going to happen? Can you show me what she showed you?" she held out her hand, he looked a little apprehensive

"I don't know if I can" he said honestly, looking at her she was very pretty with her blonde hair and blueish green eyes "I don't want to hurt you. I don't have any control over my powers yet"

"Please... just try. I want to know what will happen... what would have happened; I'm assuming things that would have happened are being altered by Liz. That was her whole reason for coming back, wasn't it?"

"Yes it was" he nodded his head. He sighed then took hold of her hand and focused on the memories she'd shown him in the desert, Kyle sent them to Laurie's mind and he got flashes of her life. How happy she was living with her grandpa even though he was descending into isolation and craziness then her sadness when he died and finally her suffering at the hands of her aunt and uncle who became her legal guardians.

When the flashes were over, Kyle opened his eyes to see Laurie with tears streaming down her face. They were still holding hands despite the connection between them being closed

"My God" she gasped, Kyle got up and just pulled her into his arms "Promise me you won't let that happen"

"I promise" he said "I'll do anything to make sure that doesn't happen"

"I don't want you to die" she whispered through her tears, he rested his cheek against her head as she buried her face against his chest "You all fought so hard..."

He pulled back to brush her tears away from her cheeks; from the flashes he'd shown her she felt like she knew him. She wanted to protect the boy before her and she wanted him to protect her like he'd protected Isabel after Alex had been killed and they'd fled Roswell. Honestly, Laurie felt such waves of jealousy at how much Kyle cared for Isabel but she had no idea why because it certainly hadn't come from the very source of the memories. Liz had been happy that Kyle and Isabel had been able to depend and care for one another when they were travelling and avoiding the law after running away.

Kyle couldn't stop staring at her; that was the whole problem with flashes and sharing memories. You gained insight in their lives and made you feel like you knew that person as well as you knew yourself. He felt he'd known the girl in front of him all his life and all he wanted to do was to make her tears stop. He leaned forward slowly giving her time to react but she gasped and leaned closer to him; she knew what he was going to do and she wanted it as much as he did. Their lips brushed for a scant second then they jumped apart quickly when they heard a throat clearing.

Kal was standing in the doorway looking annoyed that they were awake, wasting his electricity and eating his ice cream

"Don't you people ever sleep?" he snarled. The two of them quickly packed the ice cream away, washed their spoons and hurried back upstairs all the while Kal glaring at them. Once they were gone, he got out the ice cream and sat at the counter enjoying the frozen treat; he loved how cold it was on his tongue... it was one of the few sensations he got from food and he loved it!

Laurie was quiet as she walked up the stairs, in fact both of them were. Kyle was cursing himself for being so weak to try and kiss her; she'd been through crap and he'd taken advantage of her! While Laurie was trying to gather up the guts to tell him she'd enjoyed their very brief 'almost' kiss and that she was afraid of sleeping alone and that she wanted him to stay with her.

When they reached the corridor outside of their rooms both stood there awkwardly, not wanting to part company just yet and trying to think up of something to say

"Kyle"

"Laurie" they both said each other's name at the same time then both laughed nervously

"You go first" Kyle said, she sucked in a deep breath then blurted out

"Kyle will you sleep with me!" his eyes went wide and he choked on his breathe "No... I didn't mean... I meant will you stay with me. I don't want to sleep alone" he just nodded, coughing loudly trying to catch his breath. She patted him on the back until he could breathe normally again "What did you want to say?"

"I wanted to apologise for trying to kiss you. I shouldn't have taken advantage of you when you were crying and I'm sorry"

"You're forgiven only as long as you hold me and keep me safe. I want you to protect me like you did with Isabel..." she mumbled

"I can't do that" he said boldly and she looked down, feeling ashamed for asking and being rejected

"I understand" she quietly replied, turning to go into her room. He stopped her by grabbing her arm

"I can't do that because Isabel is just my friend" he said just as quietly. She looked up as tears filled her eyes once more "You look beautiful when you're on the verge of tears" he whispered to her. She nodded. She took his head and led her into her room; they laid down together and he held her close. She felt safe in his arms and he chased her nightmares away.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

They all seemed in unison as they moved about Kal's kitchen making breakfast for themselves. She'd offered but Maria, the perky short blonde, had waved her off. Michael was busy cooking while Kyle and Laurie were shyly working together to lay the table. Alex was getting plates out intent on passing them to the nervous couple setting the dining table when Kal came down "Mm, that smells good, Consuela" he greeted her and she just smiled

"Well then thank the chef" she replied nodding at Michael

"Okay we've got egg in the hole for Maria, three fry ups for Alex, Laurie and Kyle, toast and cereal for Kal... I didn't know what you wanted. There's plenty of bacon and egg left and Consuela I hope you don't mind but I made you a Spanish omelette" he smiled warmly

"Thank you Michael" she replied, she was a little surprised but all of them sat down together to eat breakfast.

"So when does training start?" asked Maria as she tucked into her egg in the hole and helped herself to some bacon

"I'm going to call and arrange for a martial arts trainer to come and teach you all basic defence and offence. He should be here by tomorrow by the earliest and as for the other stuff... I'll teach you that later" he purposely glanced at Consuela and they understood that she didn't know that she was dining with aliens and he wanted to keep it that way "You have the morning to yourselves. Consuela, I'm not going to need you today so you can go home, your pay won't be affected"

"Thank you, sir" she smiled; today was starting out to be a really good day!

"As for the rest of you. You can do what you want as long as you stay on the property and away from my office until four o'clock. I'm going to be pretty busy until then and I don't want to be disturbed. At four I'll start on teaching you"

"Cool" said Alex "You don't mind if I go on your computer in the downstairs parlour?"

"No, knock yourself out... but I think considering that computers got you into the problem were Tess wanted to kill you I think it'd be best that you play about in the pool or something" Kal suggested the entire group went quiet and Alex went pale. Consuela just wondered what was going on, was that why they were all here? Were they some young group of really talented hackers that were being targeted by someone? She guessed that Alex could have been but none of the other kids seemed to fit the bill. It would continue to puzzle her until she figured out why they were here and where they'd come from; Kal Langley was the last person who'd willingly put up kids in his house. Hell, she knew he couldn't stand kids and most of the films he made had nothing to do with children whatsoever!

After breakfast was finished they all got up without being asked and did the dishes, even Kal seemed surprised by this and the two of them just watched the five of them work as a perfect team moving around each other with ease like they'd done this a thousand times before. When they were done, they disappeared upstairs to get changed into their swim wear but only Alex, Laurie and Kyle came back down and went out to the pool.

Maria sat down on the bed, even though Alex and Kyle were like brothers to her Michael had gotten possessive when he'd seen her standing there in her bikini and refused to let her leave their room

"No way am I letting my wife go out like that! They'll look at you"

"Of course they will... they do have eyes, SpaceBoy" she replied with a smirk, enjoying his possessiveness and the fact that he'd addressed her as his wife. He didn't seem aware that he'd called her that, all she knew was that he was highly jealous and highly turned on, especially seeing his eyes darken "Michael... Michael..."

"Maria" he replied just as breathlessly as he crawled over her and she lay down

"I'm not ready for...that... not yet" she said fearfully then realised this was Michael, he'd give his life to keep her safe, he would never hurt her!

"I'd never do anything you weren't ready for" he whispered and her eyes fluttered shut; the situation seemed dangerously charged and she was distantly aware that she was just wearing a bikini and he was just wearing swim trunks "I'd never hurt you"

"Michael..." he moaned his name breathlessly and it drove him crazy just hearing his name spilling from her lips. He leaned down kissing her softly, she froze for a moment before she welcomed him to deep the kiss and she arched up against him.

He broke the kiss for air then rolled to the side pulling her into his arms as they started making out on the double bed. He pulled away from her mouth and nipped along her jaw and neck; a brief flash appeared in his mind and somehow he knew that Liz had seen them make out during some random heat wave in the cafe after it was closed.

"Maria..." he pulled away breathing heavily "I think we should go out to the pool now... otherwise I'm not going to be able to stop" he couldn't even look at her as she lay there flustered in the thing bikini; he could practically smell her arousal and it was driving him insane

"Yeah, yeah" she nodded just as breathlessly agreeing with him. They went down keeping their distance from each other as they descended the stairs; unbidden Michael got an image of taking her on the stairs. He knew that one day when they were old enough to be together he'd make that fantasy come true.

As soon as they got outside he dived into the pool thankful that the water was cool against his heated body. Maria wandered over to the chair next to where Laurie was sunbathing; she'd borrowed one of Maria's other bikinis and was now sitting in the sun

"Have fun?" she asked with a smirk seeing how flustered Maria was and she spotted the hickey now forming on Maria's neck. Maria sat down on the chair next to her with a smile and said nothing.

The guys were mainly goofing off in the pool together; Alex rolled his eyes as Michael kept trying to show off for Maria and Kyle kept surreptitiously glancing at Laurie. He'd woken up early enough to see Kyle sneaking out of Laurie's room and heading back to his own; he was glad for his new friends but he missed Isabel a lot

"Guys, I'm going to call Isabel and see how they're all doing. I think she should be at lunch at the moment" he got out of the pool and went inside.

At the mention of Isabel's name Laurie couldn't help but feel her jealously rear its ugly head and Maria noticed her scowl

"You're jealous of Isabel" she commented, then guessed why Laurie would be jealous "Wait... so you like Alex?"

"No. I don't like Alex... I mean I do, just not in the way you and Michael like each other"

"Then who... Kyle?!" she gasped with an excited grin "You like Kyle!" she practically shouted it just as Kyle was trying to show off by doing a professional dive off the board. When he heard Maria he lost his balance and ended up slamming into the water on his belly. Michael winced for the shorter boy

"That must have hurt" he mumbled

"Kyle!" cried Laurie and she jumped into the pool to make sure he was okay. Kyle came up for air and groaned in pain but it was forgotten as Laurie quickly swam over to him and began feeling for injuries; she had no idea what effect she had on him. Michael just scowled realising that his sister like Kyle and that Kyle liked her; it wasn't that he didn't trust Kyle... it's just no one would be good enough for his sister and he was going to make it clear that if Kyle wanted to date her then he'd have to get his permission.

"Laurie, I'm fine. Just a belly flop" he said trying to allay her fears. Honestly, he wanted her hands off him because they were playing havoc with his teenage hormones

"Hey Valenti!" called Michael and pushed some water at him, it was meant to be playful but he put a little power behind it. It backfired and a wave hit both Laurie and Kyle.

"Way to go Michael!" cried Laurie as she retrieved the top half of her bikini which had come off due to the force of the wave. Kyle had gone bright red

"I'm going to go to my room for a bit" he said as he climbed out of the pool, then added under his breath "And take a very long, very cold shower"

"I'm watching you, Valenti!" Michael called trying to sound intimidating but considering what Kyle had just said; he suspected that the taller boy had heard him and he... wanted to watch him

"Whatever you weird pervert. Stick with Maria" he said "Leave me alone"

"Michael! Why did you do that?" demanded Laurie

"Because you're my baby sister and I have to protect you. I don't want anything bad to happen to you" he replied sounding sincere

"You don't want anything good to happen to me either!" she snapped "I'm a big girl and I'm two years old than you. I was locked up for years at Pinecrest and now I finally find someone whose nice and caring and you treat him like crap! You know Kyle... do you think he'd ever hurt me? Do you really think I could do any worse?"

"No" he said, looking down feeling well and truly told off

"If he does anything I don't want then I'll come to you and you can kick his ass but until then let me decide what and who I want" she climbed out of the pool and went after Kyle.

Maria got up from her chair and sat down at the edge of the pool. Her legs dangled in the water and she held out her arms

"Michael, come here" she ordered him warmly. He waded over to her and she held him close, his head resting against her stomach and she stroked his hair

"She hates me" he stated, she just shook her head

"She doesn't hate you, Laurie doesn't know you. I know you want to look out for her but that wasn't the way. She just needs to get to know you and deciding you know what's best for her isn't the way to do that. What you need to do is find something she enjoyed doing and do it with her... like she said she's been locked up at Pinecrest for a long time so she's missed out on a lot of things. Why don't you teach her to drive or something or even ask her about her grandpa? That's something you have in common; you're his clone and she's his granddaughter"

"Are you sure that would work?"

"I know so. But for now just give her some time to cool down" she said then she slowly slid into the pool "She's right you know, she could do a lot worse than Kyle Valenti"

"Grrr" he growled, even though he knew that both Laurie and Maria were right. Didn't mean he liked it.

*

Liz had worked tirelessly setting up her furniture in her new place. There were a lot of boxes scattered around and all she'd been able to do was put the draws back in the units and put her bed up. She put some clean sheets on her bed then sat down looking around the empty room; she would get used to it when everything was here and she'd been there for a few days but for now she was extremely lonely.

Frantically she looked round then got up and opened her front door stepping outside for a moment, she sighed with relief just at the ability of being able to leave her apartment. Being imprisoned for ten years was taking its toll on her. She went back in then sat down and turned on the TV thinking that would be some distraction but it wasn't. The room seemed to close in on her and she felt claustrophobic; she grabbed her coat and left quickly.

It was dark out and deep down she knew that she shouldn't be walking the streets of Roswell late at night because even though it was a small place it still had serious crime. But she couldn't help it... before she'd came here almost a week ago, had it been that long ago, she thought to herself, she'd been imprisoned near enough every day for ten years. Liz didn't think she'd ever have the chance to be free... she needed the open space even more than she needed her apartment and she needed to be around people.

Without realising she'd walked clear across town, her feet carrying her to the one place she knew she'd be welcome regardless of the time; she just needed to see him. When she'd been on Antar, even though she couldn't see him because they were kept separate, just knowing he was there nearby was enough to soothe her and make the whole nightmare bearable.

He was asleep when she got there, she stood at his window leaning against his window ledge in his room watching him sleep. Liz just didn't have the heart to wake him; she sighed deeply knowing she couldn't stay here. This was a different time and he was just a kid to her. Suddenly the door to Max's room creaked open and Isabel was standing there

"Hey" she whispered quietly so as not to wake her brother

"Hey" Liz whispered back, she glanced at Max one last time then followed Isabel down the hall to her room. They sat down on the taller girl's bed and Isabel pulled the covers up over both of them

"Want to talk about it?"

"Not really..." she began then looked up at her "I got scared... In the new apartment by myself. It made me think of being in my cell on Antar"

"Liz..." Isabel gasped, she could see Liz was trying to hold back her tears

"It's stupid. I was being stupid"

"No you weren't" Isabel snapped; how could she even think like that "You have every right to be scared and frightened... you're probably the only person who truly has that right. What happened to you... you lost everything"

"Please... don't" she begged her. She didn't want to hear it or relive it "Don't talk about it?"

"So you can pretend it never happened? We all died, Liz, you lost everything! Your home, your family... your babies"

"No! Please! I'm begging you don't talk about it!" she was openly crying "I failed you all! I'm sorry! Oh God Isabel I'm so sorry! I should have fought harder! I shouldn't have given up when Kivar came to Earth! I just- I just didn't know what to do!"

"Liz, look at me" Isabel ordered her and she looked up through her tears "Don't you realise just who you are?" Liz shook her head "You're a saviour! The most strongest, bravest person on Earth, Antar or anywhere else! You've been through hell and you're still strong"

"But I wasn't strong enough" she protested

"No, maybe you weren't" Isabel agreed with a nod "But you knew that, didn't you? That's why you came back. Now you don't have to deal with the weight of both worlds on your shoulders"

"I don't?" she sniffled still very emotional

"No, of course you don't. You have us now... we'll share your pain and help you with everything we've got. You have your family back and we'd do anything for you, I'd do anything for you"

"I'd like to sleep" said Liz, it was such a simple request and a little odd to Isabel but from the memories she'd gotten when Liz was imprisoned on Antar she knew that Liz hardly got a full night's sleep. She was too afraid to fully rest half the time and she was tortured and abused by guards the rest

"Lie down" said Isabel. They both lay down in the bed, Liz wriggling closer to her for protection and safety. The taller girl linked fingers with the shorter who raised a brow questioning what she was doing "I'm going to protect you in your dreams" Liz just nodded and they both closed their eyes. Isabel could sense nightmares starting in Liz so she quickly did her best to alter the dreams, she changed the scenery to something she'd been thinking about ever since Liz explained and show her how much Alex meant to her

"Congratulations Alex! Congratulations Isabel... Mrs Whitman!" chuckled Liz in the dream world

"Thanks Liz!" said Isabel hugging her sister in law. They were both happy.


	13. AuthorsNote

Hey all,

All stories are on hold for the time being. I'm typing this one handed because I accidentally trapped my hand in the door and split my thumb open. It hurts to type so I'm going to rest it and contnue writing once its all healed. Don't think its broken but man it doesn't half hurt! This really sucks, I'm going to go crazy not being able to write! Sorry about this :]

JD


	14. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

He didn't exactly know what to think about finding his sister and his girlfriend in bed together the next morning. When he woke up he could sense Liz nearby and went to find her. She was fast asleep curled up next to Isabel and they both looked content; he knew that something important must have happened between them and whatever Isabel had done for Liz he was sure that his soulmate was much better off for it.

"Liz, Isabel... it's time to wake up" he gently shook them awake; it was one thing for him because he knew it must have been something alien related but it would have been an entirely different matter if either of his parents found them.

"Max?" Liz whispered, she looked up and saw him standing there. It took her a moment to realise that it wasn't Max from her time line but Max age sixteen; she couldn't help but feel heartbreak at the sight of him. Yes she loved him no matter what age but she had a lifetime with the other Max, her Max, so it just wasn't the same.

"Its morning Liz... do you want me to drive you home?" he asked but she shook her head as she sat up

"No, that's okay. I think I'll run home, it's been a while since I've had a good run" she replied with a smile, he'd never seen her content since she'd come back from her timeline. She got out of the bed, pulled on her shoes then paused in the window "Could you pick me up later for school? I'll see you later!" and then she was gone.

***

Liz arrived home and quickly got changed, she felt so well rested and happy. It had been such a very, very long time since she'd felt that emotion; with all her friends and family around her it was easy to temporarily forget of that horrible future, her past, that she had lived through. She could forget for a while but it was something that would always be with her.

She altered her clothes using her powers to the fashion and style she knew as we comfortable for her. She had baggy combat pants on, combat boots and a beige camisole and her hair tied back. Looking herself over in her mirror she looked every bit the army brat she had learnt to be. Once she was ready she hurried out and down her stairs to wait for Max and Isabel to pick her up.

***

"Things are changing... I can feel it" he mumbled

"What's changing?" asked the soldier guarding him, Kjou had been the soldier assigned to protect the King. He was the only bodyguard visible, the rest were all hidden

"Time, reality. I can feel them breaking down. I need to go to the Granolith chamber" he said

"But sire, we're going to the War Room to meet with Kathana, Sero and Larek. It's important we go there" Kjou tried to remind him, Larek had been pretty adamant that it was important the King get there. Since he got into the throne room and forced his bad memories of ten years of torture on Kivar he'd just wandered like a lost soul, almost as if he was empty

"I am so very empty... I can't remember things" he said desperately then suddenly turned and hurried down the corridor. Kjou watched as the walls seemed to bend and flicker, he hurried after Max wondering if they were under attack. But it was quiet, too quiet, like nothing was wrong at all.

Max entered the chamber housing the Granolith and everything else seemed to disappear. He grabbed a crystal just as the soldier stood near the door vanished

"What's happening?" Kjou cried, he'd never seen things like this happen before; he didn't know how to fight against it the way his king seemed to do

"Time to go. Hahahaha time!" Max laughed as he put the crystal in the slot "You should come with me. I don't know if it'll work but if you stay here you will cease to exist"

"Cease to exist?" he repeated, Max placed both hands on his bodyguard's shoulders and they were both sucked inside as the fabric around the Granolith seemed to tear. Within seconds there was a flash and they were gone just as everything vanished completely.

***

"So I was thinking this weekend we could all go out to the desert and practice, build up strength, since the others are in California living it up with Kal it would be good if we could get stronger too"

"Yeah that would be good. But Isabel, it wasn't about strength... it was about unity, using our Czechoslovakian passports to complement each other. We need to go over strategy and defence"

"Okay" she replied with a bright smile "Then afterwards we can go shopping? You know, completely selfish blowing money and just doing what normal teenage girls do"

Liz slammed her locker and looked at her friend with a thankful smile; it was easy to see what Isabel was doing. She was trying to make Liz feel better, try and take away the bad memories and replace them with good ones

"I'd love to" she stated "And Isabel..."

"Yes?"

"Thanks" Isabel grinned then walked off down the hall just as the bell rang. The halls began to clear quickly and Liz was hurrying to put her books into her bag, she dropped one. She shoved the rest in before bending to pick up the fallen book when she paused; something was different, she could sense it. She slowly stood back up looking round. Liz stared down the hall but saw nothing, it was quite deserted now, she turned around holding her breathe.

Her bag clattered to the floor and her books spilt out but she didn't see nor care. Max was walking towards her, to anyone else he looked sixteen, but as soon as she laid eyes on him she knew. It was him. It was Max. It was _her _Max! He was here, he was alive and he'd come back for her!

"Max! Oh my God!" she cried jumping over the books and rushing over to him

"God! Liz I never thought I'd see you again"

"Me too! I thought you were dead!" she felt so happy to be held in his arms that she didn't care that she was late for class. All she wanted was to be held and to hold him; it was all she needed.

"Let's get out of here" Max whispered and she nodded. The two of them hurried out the doors Max came through unaware that they were being watched. He came out from behind the corner and wondered what the hell they were talking about. Why would Liz think Max was dead? And why did Max think that he'd never see Liz again? Whatever was going on he was going to get answers. He watched the happy couple go before turning to follow them, if they were going to skip class then he wanted to know why and what they were going to do.

***

It was a sight to see. It certainly was! Alex and Maria watched Michael, Laurie and Kyle moving feathers around with their minds. Kal had suggested feathers because they were so light and that they should start at the beginning. The feathers were floating around each other like they were orbiting planets. The three of them sat there with their eyes closed as Kal explained how to do it.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door and Consuela came in, she paused when she saw the floating feathers that dropped down instantaneously

"I thought I told you to go home" hissed Kal

"I did" she replied "And I came back to do my evening shift. There is a Kevin Jones here to see you, sir" she said. She had seen what the children had been doing; three of them had telepathy and Kal was encouraging their gifts, why? She just added it to her mental list; these children were special and she would find out. The man who had just arrived cleared his throat then burst into the room impatiently.

Kevin paused when he saw them then gasped; he had to control the urge to bow to the young children before him. They were just kids! They were what the Antarian alliance was relying on? These kids! There had to be more to it, they had to be stronger than they appeared

"You must be the martial arts teacher"

"Ye-yes I am. I'm Kevin Jones... nice to meet you" he held out his hand for Langley to shake. Kal looked over the younger man before him, sizing him up. He looked to be about twenty five and there was strangeness to him like they'd met before

"Have we met before?" he couldn't help asking, he couldn't sense any alien energy in him but that meant nothing

"I think you knew my father" he answered "Shall we begin, do you have a room where we can train? The kids here are going to be my student's right?"

"Yeah that's right" he nodded "That's Michael, Kyle, Laurie, Maria and Alex"

"Nice to meet you" he smiled; he'd heard that Michael was General Rath in his former life. He couldn't quite see it from where he was standing but maybe that was a good thing, if he couldn't tell then others couldn't either and that meant he was underestimated.

***

She opened the door and they hurried inside with her shutting it quickly behind him, her keys fell to the floor as they started kissing and before long her shirt followed them. They walked backwards not taking their hands or mouths off each other. Liz ripped his brown shirt open sending buttons flying everywhere

"God Max" she groaned, officially this would be their first time together since they were both in their sixteen year old bodies; it occurred to her that if they did then she was would get his first time. She would have him before Tess did!

Liz jumped up in his arms wrapping her legs around his hips as they crashed into her bed, Max lay over her panting hard

"It feels so good to be this young... it is a bit weird though" he told her "I want you Liz. I need to feel you. It's been so long"

"Make love to me Max. Give me your first time, instead of giving it to her" she whispered and he nodded slowly leaning down to kiss her softly. He moved down attacking her neck, he knew her body so well even though this was the first time he was doing this in this line.

He held her hand, linking fingers with him as he moved his way down her body. He carefully slipped her trousers down

"It's like old times. When we were in that tent... camped out in the Mojave desert" he whispered

"We'd just wiped out a battalion and rescued part of Los Angeles. Kyle knocked out the power because he was drunk. You made a hole in the roof of the tent so we could..."

"Make love under the stars" he finished the story as she lay there in her underwear. She gently flipped him over so she was straddling him; her hands went to his belt buckle

"All those times we were afraid of being completely natural because we didn't know what it would do, since I had already been changed by you"

"Liz..." he began but she shook her head

"Let me finish. Max I want to do this, all those years on Antar... with Kivar"

"I dealt with Kivar. You don't have to worry about him anymore"

"Please Max... all those years. I need you, I need to feel you. Not some bit of rubber... I'm ready. And if... if I do end up with a child, it will be your baby. A baby we've created together..."

"Okay. I just don't want to hurt you"

"You can't. By doing this I'll never be hurt again, this will change things. Tess won't have the control over you like she did and we won't be broken up" she pulled his jeans down then laughed "I'm sat here in my underwear and combat boots! Not very sexy"

"It's you, Liz, that does it for me" he said with a smirk and she grinned

"Yeah I can see that" she couldn't help lean forward teasing him through their last strands of clothing and he groaned loudly.

*

He watched from the fire escape, thankfully no one could see him starving in through her window because the fire escape was at the back of the building overlooking an alley. He'd been wondering what had been going on for a while ever since Kyle and Liz broke up and then he went off on some exchange programme. Then Liz went out with Max as soon as Kyle was gone, talk about a quick rebound!

Tommy couldn't help but lean closer to look through the window. As soon as they're entered Liz's supposed apartment it was clear that they were going to go all the way. Since he heard them talking in the corridor at school his interest was more than piqued; what the hell was going on? He tried to hear what they were saying by moving even closer. The metal of the fire escape squeaked and grated against the wall making him freeze. He glanced back up to see both of them staring straight at him!

"Shit!" he cried jumping up to make a run for it down the fire escape but all of a sudden his body went limp and he couldn't move. He willed his arms and legs to move but they wouldn't budge. He couldn't even shout for help! The window opened and two pairs of hands grabbed hold of him pulling him inside.

Max and Liz dropped Tommy in the middle of the floor in the bare apartment. Liz let him loose and he sank back before jumping up intent to knock her out of the way getting to the door. But she was quicker, she held up her hand and he went flying backwards landing on his back groaning in pain.

Max shut the window then walked over to his girlfriend; they were both dressed only in their underwear but neither was ashamed in front of their peeping prisoner.

He knelt down near him scowling to intimidate the guy who'd been spying on him and his girlfriend... his wife.

"Talk" he demanded coolly

"I can't sense him. Can you?" asked Liz glancing between the two of them. Max shook his head; because they couldn't sense him that made him either a human or a skin. One thing was clear was that he wasn't an Antarian.

"I'll check him..." he replied and easily turned him over, Tommy struggled by he held him down with ease and lifted up the back of his shirt feeling the small of his back "He's human"

"Might be a vessel" she commented

"I don't think so. If he was then he would have used his powers instead of trying to run, he's human"

"Who the hell are you?" he cried desperately, he'd rolled over to stare up at them and they were menacing to him

"Why do you want to know?" she answered him "Why were you on my fire escape?"

"Why were you watching us?" Max added

"I wanted to know what's going on. Something weird has been going on with you two, Kyle, Isabel, Alex, Michael and Maria!"

"Max," Liz gasped "If he's noticed it then other people are bound to notice"

"We'll deal with that if it has become a problem but for now I think it's just him being nosy. Honestly Tommy, I would never had thought you were bright enough to figure our secret out"

"You-you're not human are you? Either of you?" he gasped quietly "You're from the crash aren't you? It really happened! What did you do to Max and Liz? Oh god this is like invasion of the body snatchers!"

Liz laughed at that. It was true in a weird sort of way, she'd taken over her sixteen year old self and it turned out Max had too. She was glad that he was here now, that he'd come back and melded with this timeline's Max. If he hadn't then she wouldn't have seen him again; once she was in the past she couldn't return to the future because her influence in this present had changed that future and now it was gone altogether.

"No we're not human" Liz shook her head

"What are you going to do to me?"

"What should we do with him Max?"

"I don't know... there's so many things we can do... it's been a while since I've tortured someone. I did learn a lot when I was in those dungeons"

"So did I" she replied, Tommy looked up at them with such terror and fear "Relax Tommy, we're not going to hurt you. Believe it or not we're the good guys"

"We should show him... like you showed the others. This is interesting, young Max's memories are mixing with mine. I can remember it but it's like I wasn't there"

"Don't worry" she soothed him "You'll get used to it and those memories we have with become hazy and it'll hurt less" Max put his arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head "Do you want to show him or should I?"

"If you're going to show me what you really look like... please don't! I won't tell anyone about you! Just please, please, please let me go! I won't tell anyone I swear!" Max nodded at Liz and she knelt down reaching out to touch him. Tommy closed his eyes in fear.

She connected to him easily and the images flashed through his mind and once it was over he started crying. He understood it all and when he opened his eyes he looked up at them with so much respect. Liz had also gotten a few flashes of him and couldn't help but smirk as she saw his true self. When he'd been peeping at them it was the sight of Max that had excited him more than the sight of Liz.

"He's going to keep our secret and I'll keep his" she announced. Max looked at her, she just smiled letting him know that it was okay and his secret was a personal thing.

"I know I'm just... an ordinary human and I'll need some time to get used to what you showed me but when... when you need me, if there's anything I could do to help then I'll be there"

"Thank you. Take as much time as you want" Max said. Tommy left quietly as it all rolled through his mind.

***

Kevin arrived home to the tiny little condo he'd rented and sighed deeply as he leaned against the door. He couldn't believe how hard it was to hide himself from the Royals and their family but he figured it was best; he was an outsider to them and he knew what kind of reaction he'd get if he came out and told them he was like them.

He turned on the TV before sinking down on the couch; he still didn't know how it'd had happened and it wracked his mind trying to figure it all out but for some reason he'd arrived on Earth the same time Liz had come back from the Future and he hadn't disappeared. He wasn't bound to this timeline but for some reason travelling through the Granolith at the exact time his reality broke down had put him outside time. As soon as he arrived on Earth he turned to amassing details on Copper Summit, the New York Royals, both shapeshifters and this line's current queen which was Tess Harding. Then he got word of things happening, changing and he could feel it within him, that strange sense that something was different. Liz had sent several of her friends to one of the shapeshifters for protection and training leaving the King, the Princess and Liz in Roswell protecting the Granolith.

Suddenly the phone rang breaking his train of thought; he quickly got up to answer it. It was one of his contacts in Roswell

"There's been a development, sir" came the voice on the other end of the line, completely foregoing pleasantries

"What is it?"

"Someone has discovered King's secret"

"Is their safety compromised?" he replied fearful that it had and what that would mean

"I'm not aware of it. I've got the details on the one who found out and I've sent it to you; he's a student like them at the High School"

"Adam, I want you to contact Connie and her father in the resistance and get them to bring Ava to me"

"Yes sir" said Adam "Sir... can I ask, did you... did you meet them?"

"I did yes. It's hard to believe they're the same people. Contact the others and then I want you to go find Tess, bring Tess to me and get the Griffin's to take Ava to Liz in Roswell"

"Understood sir" Adam stated finally before ringing off. Kevin put the phone back in the cradle before glancing at the TV, it flicked off and he sighed once more. He'd been so focused on all of them for so long he hadn't had a moment to himself. It had only been days since he'd come here and built up enough contacts and people willing to fight but it felt like it had been months! He'd achieved so much and now that he sat down to think about it he was overwhelmed by it all.

***

She slid closer to him smiling into his chest as she stole his warmth; he looked down at her and couldn't help but smile back. He wrapped his arms around her keeping her safe

"I like these lazy mornings. I was so sore last night" she moaned "Maria really packs a punch"

"Well she's small... she has to have something to make up for it" he replied and she chuckled "Are you going to spend some time with Michael today?" her sunny mood disappeared into a scowl

"I'm not talking to him after the pool incident. Since grandpa died my aunt and uncle have dictated my life, I don't want him to be doing the same"

"He has a point for what he said; he is actually worried and concerned about you"

"Got a funny way of showing it" she snapped

"Laurie... if he really was like your aunt and uncle he wouldn't have said what he said about me. He wants you to be happy and he's worried that I might not be the right guy for you; he's looking out for his sister. I can see why he might not think I'm up to the job of being your boyfriend because I was the typical bonehead jock. If you don't do it for yourself then do it for me spend time with him, please"

"Okay" she said sulkily

"Thank you" he replied pressing a soft kiss to her forehead "I was really proud of you yesterday, your powers are really strong. I was a little surprised"

"Well I've had a long time to practice them... Michael's energy is similar to yours. It's like you're both warriors"

"I think it's because we both have people we love and want to protect. You're a part of the group now Laurie... and I really am glad that you are. In the future time line... when I died, I was alone. Yes I was mourned by Liz and the others, my family, but I didn't have someone who loved me like Max and Liz love each other. What I'm trying to say is..." she silenced his nervous words by crashing her mouth against his.

TBC...


	15. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Alex sat by himself in the kitchen. He was thinking about Isabel again, she'd been on his mind constantly since he found out about her being an alien... no, she'd been on his mind since he figured out that not all girls had cooties. With Liz's memories it was easy to feel for the tall blonde girl but he was trying to sort his feelings out without them; he knew that he loved Isabel but that was the problem. All he could think of was marrying her and having kids with her; living the sweet American dream with her by his side. He was only sixteen years old, it was far too soon to be thinking of things like that

"Penny for your thoughts" he looked up to see Consuela standing at the other side of the counter he was sat at. He hadn't even heard her come in

"Oh I was just thinking about my girlfriend. She's back home"

"Alex... where are you from?" she couldn't help but ask, the arrival of the kids in Kal Langley's house had filled her with questions

"New Mexico" he replied absent-mindedly "Why?"

"I'm curious. Mr Langley doesn't have any family that I'm aware of and I'm wondering why you're all here. I saw what the others were doing with the feathers in the library yesterday. Do you... have some kind of special powers? If you do then what has it got to do with Mr Langley?"

"He... he's protecting us. We're different from normal people and he's different too, we're here because he's protecting us and teaching us to defend ourselves"

"How did you... were your powers gifts from God?"

"No, not really. But we do have a destiny... we know what's coming and we're going to use our powers to stop the evil... there's something coming that is so terrible, so evil that the whole world could be..."

"Alex that's enough" Kal snapped from the doorway. Alex clammed up before getting up and leaving the room to head upstairs. Kal glared at Consuela for prying into his and the kids lives "Consuela, you've always been a good house keeper but I'm going to have to ask you to find another job"

"You don't need to sir. These kids are special and I respect you protecting them, I will protect them too. I won't tell anyone what Alex just told me"

"I can't take that risk, they're more important..."

"I'll talk if you fire me"

"No one blackmails me. Anyone who tried didn't live long enough to" he said coldly

"I've worked for you for years. I've seen enough weird things; if I was going to have talked I would have done it already. I'm not going to tell... I won't pry but I don't want to be treated like an idiot either. Now I'm going to start on breakfast, do me and favour and go wake them up" she ordered him and he was surprised enough by what she said that he actually did go upstairs to wake the others up.

Alex peeked his head round the door after Kal had gone then came back in. He sat back down where he was sitting and she patted his hand "Tell me about her. What's her name?"

"Isabel" he replied as she got out the pots and pans for breakfast "Do you want any help"

"No, no! I want you to tell me about Isabel... I want to hear everything!"

***

"Excuse me?" she began "Excuse me?"

"Wotcha ya want?" snapped the petite dirty blonde haired turning to see a woman with a blonde bob staring at her trying to get her attention

"You. You're Ava aren't you?" she answered simply "My name is Connie"

"I don't care if ya the Queen of England. Get lost" she walked on a few steps ignoring the other girl as she kept pace.

"Maybe I didn't make myself clear Miss Parker my name is Cadet Connie Griffin of the United States Air Force..." Ava paused glaring in fright at the slightly taller woman

"I don't have a last name and what the hell does the air force want with me?" she demanded not bothering to hide the fear in her voice. Connie turned to look at a black van that had been slowly crawling next to them unaware to Ava "What's going on?" she backed up but Connie grabbed her arms just in time as Ted Griffin jumped out of the van, stuck a needle in Ava's side and the both of them carried her to the van leaving bystanders staring at it as it sped away.

Connie tied Ava's wrists behind her back and put a blindfold on her, both of them knew that it wouldn't do any good when she woke up but for now they had a few hours and that would get them far enough away from New York. She climbed into the front next to her dad and sighed

"What about the others?"

"We were told to get Ava only. If the others figure it out then I'm sure they can figure it out, we have a long drive ahead of us" he told his daughter. Both of them had gone AWOL when they had been approached by Kevin Jones, it had taken a few hours for both of them to wrap their heads around what he told them but when that had got used to it they both agreed to help him. He had told them that in the future they had both been a part of the resistance.

"I'm going to get some sleep dad, when it's my turn to drive wake me up" she said then bunked down in the front seat.

No matter how hard she tried she hadn't had a good night's sleep since Kevin came and told her about the future and her, and her father's, part in it.

***

Liz stared at him as she lay next to him. Things had cooled down since they'd been interrupted but the passion was still there under the surface; it had been so long since they'd been together. She bit her lip as she reached out to touch his chest; he looked down at her then gasped when he saw soft glowing trailing her fingertips down his front

"Ahhh" he moaned aloud all of a sudden making Liz smirk

"You never understand how you made me feel when you did that. It's nice to finally make you realise..." she whispered

"Do it again" he demanded rolling atop her. Her eyes drifted downwards as her hands went further making him whimper "Nuhhh not that Liz. I won't last if you touch there"

"You want me to stop?" she replied a little too innocently looking up in his eyes.

"No, no don't stop Liz. Don't ever do that"

"Make love to me. I need you, it feels like it's been too long"

"It has been too long..." he stated before kissing her. He could smell her desire through their last shreds of clothing; Max decided that they were both wearing far too much and quickly corrected that with a flick of the wrist.

Liz flipped him so he was on his back and she was straddling him, she teased him by rubbing her core over the boxer clad erection that was straining for her. Tipping her head back she waved her hand ridding him of his shorts; his eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he felt his manhood against her opening

"God Liz... this line... this is your first time. I don't want to hur-" she cut his words short by thrusting down impaling herself on his penis. His first instinct was to take her pain away but she grabbed her hand stopping him

"No. I want to feel this, this is our first time together" she said between breathes and he nodded slowly trying to control himself. He was so hard and her walls were so tight around him, it was taking all of his strength not to flip her over and pound her into the bed.

Then she started moving, his lids fluttered shut as his eyes rolled back in his head; she felt so good. Even better than he remembered from all their years together; they weren't allowed to be together when they were imprisoned on Antar so it had been a while since they'd done this.

"I... can't! Ohh Max..." she shook her head and he nodded in agreement. He wasn't sure if it was because they were both in younger bodies or that it had been so long or even a mix of the two but he couldn't last. He could sense his wife was close too. Their hands found each other and the linked fingers, she opened her eyes looking down at him and light spread out along his skin. Max snapped his eyes open as he felt her light against his skin and did the same for her

"Guhh Liz. I'm... I'm coming!"

"Yehhh me too! Max!"

"Liz!" there was an astounding flash of light and Liz began to glow before it disappeared and she sank down next to him with his softening penis still inside of her. He pulled her into his arms wrapping her up in her blankets; he didn't want to be apart from her just yet and he could sense that she felt the same. "Love you"

"I love you too" she replied before closing her eyes and happily drifting to sleep.

*

Isabel was sat in class when a bright flash of light filled the room and all the lights exploded; she gasped when she realised she could sense Liz Parker! She knew instantly that Liz had just been pulled into the Royal Four replacing Tess and Ava as Queen.

"Oh My God!" she cried trying to control the new buzz of energy thrumming in her. She blushed when she realised what kind of energy it was and just how Max had brought Liz into the Royal Four! She paused when she sensed that Max was more like Liz was more; had he come back from the Future too? Images flashed before her eyes and she was seeing what happened to Max after Liz came back. Once all the images had ran through her mind she collapsed down against her desk, close to passing out, she saw what it was like on Antar.

*

Michael stood there staring off into space completely oblivious to Maria, Alex and Laurie trying to get his attention. His eyes had gone white and he was just standing there holding the box of eggs he'd just gotten from the fridge

"Michael? Can you hear me? Michael? What's happening?!" Maria cried trying to shake him awake

"Alex, go get Kal!" Alex hurried off to get their protector leaving the two girls to try and bring Michael around. The eggs fell from his hands onto the floor and the white disappeared, he blinked looking round

"Liz..." he mumbled then scowled "Kevin... Kjou"

"Michael!" snapped Maria getting his attention; he looked down at her "What was that?"

"Max has come back from the future. He came back and he made Liz part of the Royal Four; she's one of us now. She's completely alien now... she's the Queen. Tess and Ava, they shouldn't have the ability to mindwarp anymore. Liz should have that power now... it's all here in my head. I can sense her!"

"What are you talking about? I thought Liz was already part of the Royal Four?" whispered Laurie confused, he shook his head

"Not like this... Everything's changed now. Tess doesn't have the power to mindwarp anymore, she can't kill Alex now..."

Kal and Alex came hurrying into the room. Michael turned to face them, glancing between them both he sighed "Alex, it's safe for you to go home"

"No. He's not going anywhere until he's learnt to protect himself from Tess, those were Liz's orders"

"Max brought Liz into the Royal Four. She's bonded to Max like never before"

"Well crap" scowled Langley then pulled out his phone calling someone "Yes. It's me, I need you to get my plane ready. Have it stocked for six people... we're going to Roswell New Mexico. As soon as you can" he spoke to the person on the other end of the phone then hung up "I guess we're all going back to Roswell"

"But we haven't even started training. Are you sure it's safe?" asked Kyle, he glanced nervously at Alex

"Look, the only way Max could have replaced the Queen is by sleeping with Liz, which means that Liz is now the Queen and now carrying the heir to the throne of Antar. It's going to get out... if you've sensed it then the other Royal Four have as well. My fellow shapeshifter on Kivar's payroll will abandon his charge, alert Kivar that an heir has been conceived and come to find said heir so he can return to Antar"

"So by sleeping together... they've brought the possible future of war much closer?" Alex inquired

"Damn Max. Has he never heard the phrase 'keep it in his pants'!" snarled Langley as he turned to storm out of the room

"Kal, wait..." Michael called, Kal stopped and turned around dreading anymore news "There was something else. When I sensed that Max had made Liz Queen, I also felt that Max was more... more like Liz was more. I'm pretty sure that Max has come back from the future and melded with his sixteen year old self the same way Liz did"

"That's something at least, small blessings I guess, that means Max will be fully aware of his powers. He's gonna need it" he sighed "You should all go pack. You're going home"

TBC...


	16. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Tess screamed, she screamed and it echoed through her house. She had been sleeping when she felt it; she knew that she had lived apart from the Royal Four but she still had the connection to them. She just felt that connection disappear making her feel the last person in the universe, the loneliness was overwhelming

"Tess? Tess! What is it? Tell me?" Nasedo demanded, she turned to look at him

"I can't feel them anymore. I can't sense Zan or Vilandra or Rath anymore... it's like they're gone"

"Gone?" he scowled

"Like I'm on my own" she whispered

"Oh... oh no. I hope that isn't the possibility... Tess. Try and use your mindwarp powers" he ordered her. She closed her eyes and tried to use it but it didn't work

"It's not working"

"They're not gone. It's you who's gone from them, they've replaced you. They found someone and used her to replace you as queen. That means whoever Zan has slept with is carrying the heir"

"What are you going to do?"

"Well get rid of you for starters. You're no longer important to me or Kivar" he calmly stated, her eyes went wide as he lifted his hand up at her. She dodged out of the way and quickly ran down the stairs as fast as she could, she was quick on her feet and hurried to her car parked in the garage.

Peeling out of the driveway as fast as she could, she hurried along the road towards the interstate. After about an hour of driving so found a quiet little rest stop to pull into, it was a shaded area so that gave her time to change the car colour and the license plates. Only then did she get back in the car and break down, she cried and cried. She didn't know if Nasedo was following her or if she was out of his hair for the time being but she couldn't risk staying in Phoenix any longer.

Tess tried to think carefully as she sat in the little cafe; Nasedo wouldn't waste time coming after her. He would try and find the new Royal Four; he'd want the heir so he could go home. If... her trail of thought was distracted when someone sat down in the booth opposite her and clasped his hands together on the table

"You made my job easier and harder Miss Harding"

"Let me go Nasedo, please. I'll leave and you don't have to worry about me anymore" she begged close to tears. He shook his head with a smile lighting up his features

"You misunderstand. I'm not Nasedo, Miss Harding, my name is Adam and I work for a man called Kevin Jones. He knows of you and as of an hour ago he knows of your situation"

"I don't believe you. You're just trying to trick me so you can kill me, I know it's you Nasedo and I'm not going to fall for it"

"Listen. It's best if we leave now because Nasedo is on your tail, you're naive if you think he'll leave you as a loose thread. I don't know how long we have and I'm not sure I'm up to the ability to protect you" he said calmly but with a strong seriousness that got her even more afraid

"That's a good tale but I'm not going anywhere with you so you can get rid of me..." she trailed off when she saw Nasedo in his base form walk into the diner. She glanced back and forth between the two of them and her jaw dropped open

"He's here isn't he?" asked Adam she nodded slowly "Right. When I give you the signal I want you to stand up and walk out to the silver jeep with the bobbing alien head on the dashboard. Get in and stay low"

"Tess..." Nasedo greeted her "You shouldn't... run... off... like... that" everything in the little diner slowed down

"Now" Adam ordered and she got up moving quickly to the car. She got in then he stood up quickly trying to keep his hand over his watch. He hurried to the car to find her in the passenger seat "No. Open the door... you're driving" she did as he said, opened the door for him then slid into the driver's seat "I'm slowing time. I need to keep my hand over my watch and when we're far enough away I'll stop but I'll be very weak and unable to protect you but by that time we should be far enough away and in the protection of others much stronger than me"

"Why did you come to save me?" she asked as they got back on the interstate

"Because my boss ordered me to. It's that simple" he replied, he could feel his energy waning

"But what does your boss want with me?"

"I don't know and I don't care. All I've been told is that I have to take you to him" he explained. Tess scowled, something didn't sound quite right about all this

"You said your boss knew things about me. You know things too, don't you, you're not human"

"You're half right. I'm a hybrid but I wasn't created through genetics, I'm half and half the fun way" he answered her then dropped his hand away from his watch "I'm going to sleep for a bit..." he was half way over the seat, climbing into the back when his phone rang "Hello?"

"There's been a change of plan. I need you to get in touch with Connie and Griffin and tell them to come to Roswell. Things have happened and we all need to be in Roswell, I'm just heading to the airport now. Take Tess to Roswell and meet up with the Griffins and Ava; when I get there I'll find you all"

"Understood sir" he accepted the orders then hung up. Adam flopped himself down on the back seat

"We're going to Roswell. You're going to meet your sister"

"Sister? I don't have a sister" she told him but he just smirked

"Yes you do, her name is Ava and she's your twin"

*

She jerked awake. Unsure and unaware of everything; the loneliness was overwhelming. It crashed over her in waves filling her up and drowning her. Ava opened her mouth in a silent scream then suddenly the blind fold was pulled from her eyes and she saw that blonde girl Connie again

"We're almost at Roswell. How are you feeling?" she asked

"I'm dead!" she cried, Connie glanced at her father in the front seat but he said nothing "What have you done? Why can't I feel the others? Why can't I feel anything? God... it hurts!"

"Should we call Adam?" asked Griffin nervously keeping his eyes on the road

"No, dad, he said that this would happen. He told us" she replied "It'll be okay..." Ava started whimpering and crying

"Please... kill me. End the pain, I can't bear it!"

"Ava listen to me. I want you to listen or this won't work!" Connie ordered her. Adam had told them that Kevin had called alerting them that Liz had replaced Tess and Ava as Queen effectively pushing them out of the Royal Four "I want you to look deep down inside yourself. There should be a small part of you that's warm and safe... look for it!"

"Kill me"

"Look for it!" Connie shouted making Ava sob and gasp. Ava closed her eyes and despite the pain she looked for what her captor was telling her about; she saw it burning far down, it was so hidden and it shook with the same fear and doubt she felt now that she was alone. She reached out to touch it then gasped when she was flooded with images of herself. It was Tess, she was seeing her sister's life! She connected to Tess and Tess connected to her; they were sharing each other's lives and the loneliness went away

"How did you know?"Ava asked when she opened her eyes

"Because a friend, someone we work with, his job was to get Tess and our job was to get you so you could be reunited. Both of you are very important, but Ava... Tess is..."

"Connie!" Griffin snapped gruffly "She'll find out when she gets there. Untie her and come sit back up here" she rolled her eyes but did as she was told and untied Ava.

"Aren't you afraid I'll escape? I could mindwarp you and steal the van" she pointed out

"You can't mindwarp anymore. That's a privilege for the Queen alone and since Liz Parker is now the Queen..."

They fell into silence as the miles slipped by; Ava sat with her back to the wall of the van and her knees tucked up against her chest

"Connie?" she looked up at the front suddenly just as Griffin was pulling off into a rest stop for food

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Well... I was just wondering why you called me Ava Parker. I don't have a last name and if I did that is probably one I wouldn't choose"

"Let's get something to eat" Griffin announced as he parked. Ava sighed as they all got out, she thought about running but after them helping to mentally connect to her twin sister she figured that they weren't out to hurt her and it was better than hitching back to New York.

They ordered their fast food and sat down at a table. She was still waiting for answers, Connie seemed the talkative type but she wasn't sure about this Griffin guy; she didn't even know for sure that they were father and daughter.

"We were told through our go to that your name was Ava Parker. You have the same last name as Liz Parker because of what she did for you" he explained dispelling his theory that he was tight lipped

"But I've never met Liz Parker... I have no idea who she is!" she protested as she ate her fries. He sighed then glanced at his daughter

"That'll be corrected soon. When we arrive in Roswell and you're reunited with your sister both of you will meet up with her and the King"

"You're both human. How can you know this stuff about us? About me?"

"We both owe our lives to Liz and her friends. We're both fighting for the cause, just like you will" Connie told her leaving poor Ava with more questions than anyone except Liz Parker had answers for.

*

She opened her eyes sleepily, disorientation took over for a moment and she had no clue where she was. There was a second when fear of that unfamiliar gripped her and she felt like she was being swallowed by it then she felt Max shift. She looked up at him and it all came flooding back. She was with her husband in her apartment and she was safe, everything was okay.

Liz smiled as she stared up at him; they'd fallen asleep naked and entwined together under the sheets. It was late afternoon as the dimming sun streamed through the window making strange patterns dance over his face

"Beautiful" she whispered peacefully. Whenever she was with him she was happy and at peace; Kivar never realised that the true way to break either of them was to completely take away the other. If Kivar had had her killed then she was sure that Max would have given in completely and it was the same for her

"Hm?" he stirred in his sleep, turning lazily towards her as he opened his eyes. His arms tightened around her and she laid her head against his warm shoulder

"We should get up, baby" she told him. God, even to just have him here to call him that! She was glad that he had managed to do what she had; it wasn't the same with young Max.

"I don't want to. We should stay in bed, tomorrow is the weekend" he replied "You order some food in and tomorrow I'll cook you breakfast. We have the place to ourselves..."

"You have to go home Max"

"I am home" he replied finally opening his eyes to look at her, she smiled pulling her even closer so she was almost on top of him "My home is with you, it's always with you, Liz"

"It's different, we're both sixteen again..."

"Heh, that age has it's pros and cons" he chuckled making her roll her eyes

"To everyone else we're just kids, my parents let me live here but that's only because they know what we went through... what I went through... your parents don't know and they're not going to be too pleased if you move in with a girl you hardly know"

"Hardly know? Keeping something from me Evans?"

"From their point of view, Max... we're sixteen again and we're going to have to behave like it. Much as I hate it, I want to wake up with you like this every day for the rest of my life!"

"Then let's do that. I wasted so much time, I feel like I've been apart from you for so long. I need to be near you Liz or I'm going to break. You feel the same don't you, even though you're telling me to be careful"

"Yes. I do... but we have to be careful. So much was lost Max... I can't do that again. So please... Just go home. Otherwise your parents will worry"

"Okay, okay" he said then smiled "Worried that I'd rather stay out sleeping naked in a very nice looking woman's bed"

"Can't keep you out of it" she shot back as he got out of the bed and padded round naked looking for his clothes. Liz propped herself up on her arm and watched him move about in the thin light resisting the urge to drag him back into her bed

"What are you looking at?" he asked as he put his shirt and stood there in nothing else

"Oh, just enjoying a pro of being sixteen again" she smirked mischievously

"Don't make me come over there and give you a spanking" he shot back, his eyes dancing with a light that had returned when she thought it was lost. That light seemed to shine and she was grateful for it.

Max was fully dressed and he came over kneeling on the bed, over her, leaning down to kiss her as she lay under the warm sheets wearing nothing

"I meant it you know" he began; she just looked up waiting for him to continue "I want to live with you. I want to have children with you, I want everything with you Liz..." he held something out for her. She opened her hand and she quickly dropped it into her palm then closed her fingers around it; she knew instantly what it was. She'd worn it for the majority of her life

"Yes" she whispered "It's always yes. It's always been yes..."

"I love you"

"I love you too. Max" she sank back taking the ring and slipping it onto her ring finger. He sighed not wanting to leave her but knowing the importance of going home.

The drive home was a quiet one, he was deep in thought. He wondered what had happened to Kjou and what was the best way to get his parents to agree to him moving in with Liz. The only way that seemed possible was if he told them the truth; if that was the case then he would because he needed her. It was so much more powerful than when they had both been sixteen the first time around, it was a life of knowing each other intimately, and then when they were on Antar they had been kept apart and in the dark. He needed to walk in the light with her by his side.

When Larek had freed him and he got to see his old home world as a free man, he had slipped slightly. He felt the desperation and madness taking over him and he could still feel it now, it wasn't as bad but it clawed at him testing his patience and his sanity. He was half human and his human half needed what any other human needed to live; he needed light and warmth and people around him. For ten years he'd been in solitary denied the most basic requirements; this pain would never leave him.

Before he knew it he was home. He stopped for a moment after he parked in the drive way and turned off the engine, it felt so strange to see his childhood home standing in one piece. Tears came to his eyes as he saw the white washed walls and the terra cotta roof as he remembered it

"Home" he whispered, he got a brief image of Liz and he knew that when time was when they could live together he wanted to live in a house like this with her.

His mom was in the kitchen making dinner, he'd walked through the house touching along the way like he couldn't believe he was here. It was strange because he had the memories from sixteen merging with his older age. When he saw her standing there he stopped and his breath caught in his throat; all those years he never connected with her nor saw her as his true mother but right now he could feel it, he could sense it. In his life she had died without ever knowing that she was loved by him for being his mother

"Mommy" he gasped as the tears came; she turned around surprised to see him standing there

"Max...? What's wrong? Sweetie? What's wrong? What happened?" she took a step then stopped when he rushed to her and hugged her. She hugged him back feeling how much he needed her

"God... oh God!" he cried trying to fight all the emotion back "I have to tell you. I have so much to tell you!"

"What is it?" she whispered, he wiped his face then led her to sit down at the table

"I... I don't know where to begin. I guess from when you found us, me and Isabel" he started speaking trying to figure the best way to tell her "We weren't abandoned by our real parents, that was the night we were born. Isabel, Michael and me... we're part human. In 1947 when the ship crashed..."

Half an hour later Isabel came down to see if dinner was ready, she found Max and her mom sat at the kitchen table. Max was talking rather animatedly and Diane was sat there with tears streaming down her face. She was holding Max's hand so tightly refusing to let go, she knew instantly what was going on

"Max..." she whispered, both of them turned to look at her and Diane gasped "Mom..."

"Isabel!" she got up letting go of Max's hand to rush to her daughter so she could enfold her in her arms "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"We couldn't... we were scared... I was scared" she whispered as the tears came

"You're my daughter Isabel! You'll always be my daughter!" she whispered back. When Diane let go of her daughter, Isabel turned to stare at Max.

He seemed to glow with light but the light was dark, full of anger and pain and insanity... she could see him as the man he became after living in the shadows surrounded by torture and it scared her to the bone

"Your Highness" she spoke softly as she bowed her head and slowly slid down to one knee

"What's going on?" asked Phillip as he came in carrying his brief case and coat "Hey honey, did you have a good day?" he kissed Diane's cheek and turned to look at his children. Isabel was kneeling before Max, who was sat at the table. Phillip paused when he saw Max "Who are you? What are you doing in my house?" he demanded. This man looked like his son but his eyes were angry and cold

"It's me, dad... it's Max" he said calmly as he rose to his feet. He helped Isabel stand up the patted his mother's shoulder

"What... what happened to you?"

"I'll show you" he said holding out his hand, he used his powers to show his father his life but dampened the emotion just like he had done when he was telling his mom.

"Noo!" Phillip cried as he pulled away, it took him a second then he pulled Max into his arms then grabbed Isabel in too. Diane started crying again as she saw them standing there holding each other.

TBC...


	17. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

So this was Roswell. She pulled into a space then glanced back over her shoulder at the man sleeping in the back; she thought about leaving while he wasn't awake but she decided against it.

"Adam" Tess whispered gently shaking him

"Huh? What is it?"

"We're here in Roswell" she announced. Due to his unusual powers they had arrived in Roswell just as it was getting dark; the fast forward in time made her feel a little queasy. She opened her mind to the newly formed connection with her sister Ava and smiled, Ava wasn't here yet but she was close and a little confused.

"Let's find somewhere to get coffee" he said sleepily as he got out of the car. He checked he had his keys and his phone then followed her in.

Jim and Jeff were talking at the counter, it had become a small morning ritual that Jim would tell Jeff about what the others were up to in Los Angeles. The sheriff was really missing his son and was looking forward to when he was coming back. So much had changed in him when Liz had shown him the future.

"He and Laurie are getting close. It's going to be hard when they all come back, I don't know if she's going home to Tucson" he said as he got his coffee

"I keep forgetting that they're just..." he trailed off when he glanced at the door; the bell had rung signifying a new customer "Jim!" Jim looked up to see Tess Harding walking in. It was like a horrific slow motion scene. Adam walked in just as the Sheriff was pulling his gun from his holster, he reacted instantly and put his hand over his watch slowing everything down. Adam quickly walked over to Jim so that when time returned to its normal speed he'd been standing next to him, moving his hand away from his watch time corrected itself

"Freeze!" yelled Jim, the entire cafe came to a standstill in fright and watched the scene unfold. Tess stopped moving her eyes wide and terrified "Put your hands where I can see them! Keep them in the air!"

"Sheriff" Adam spoke quietly, Jim jumped when he saw a dark haired young man standing next to him. He didn't want Tess to hear about what he knew "She doesn't know what she did. That hasn't happened"

"Who are you?"

"I'm her guardian. I was told to bring her here and give her to Liz" he explained "I was told that she would be the only one allowed to judge her for her crimes" Jim lowered his gun and she sighed with relief thankful that Adam had saved her again

"Take her to Liz. I'm sure whatever she decides will be more of a punishment than I as a lawman could ever give out"

"Where is she? Is she here?"

"She moved out" announced Jeff "Why don't you sit down and I'll call her" Jim waved his gun at her gesturing for her to sit down in an empty booth. The three of them sat down and Jim put the gun on the table waiting for Liz.

"What's going on, Adam?" she asked

"Quiet. I don't want to hear a word out of your evil murdering mouth until Liz gets here" he ordered angrily, she frowned. Evil? Murdering? She looked at Adam and knew that he knew more than he was telling.

Ten minutes later they were still sat there in silence, most of the patrons of the cafe had left and Jeff was in the process of closing down early for the night. Liz walked in, she walked straight over the counter where her dad was standing

"Dad?" she asked he just nodded over the booth that was still occupied. She turned round then froze; sitting there was one of her greatest enemies. Tess's actions had led to the downfall of earth and the destruction of everything that she'd held dear. Her eyes widened and she rushed over to the booth and grabbed the blonde girl up by the scruff of her shirt

"Monster! I never got to kill you in my line! That was my mistake! One I will not make again!" she hissed, Tess began struggling as she feared for her life when Adam stood up

"Your highness" he began "She hasn't done any of those things"

"And I'm going to see to it that she never will!"

"She can't mindwarp anymore" he announced as he took hold of Liz's hands "She no longer has that power because she's no longer the Queen... she won't be able to kill Alex. She will never get pregnant by your husband and she will never leave the planet because her DNA will never be able to use the Granolith"

"But she's a killer! She deserves to DIE!" she practically screamed

"I know but then you'll be like her. Remember? That's why you let her go in the vote" he whispered

"I was an innocent back then. I'm a soldier now, I've been through battle and I know what it is to kill. Why are you trying to spare her?" she demanded, she didn't know who this was guy was or how he knew so much

"Because of Ava. Tess and Ava have connected as twin sisters, if you kill Tess now then Ava will feel it and that could turn her away from the resistance. Ava is important to the fight isn't she?" Liz scowled and let her go

"You're lucky I trust Ava with my life. You even slip a toe out of line and I will kill you" she spat before looking at her dad "I'm going home"

Adam sighed then sank down in the booth, which was probably one of the hardest things he'd ever done. Tess sank down too, thankful that she hadn't been killed by this Liz person

"Thank you" she whispered

"Don't thank me. I, personally, wouldn't mind seeing you dead for what you did" he replied. Jim stood up and slid his gun back in his holster then put his hat on his head

"Me too. Stay away from my family, Miss Harding, and you'll live a lot longer" then he left too.

"What the hell was all that about? You know don't you? Tell me!" she demanded angrily

"I think we better find somewhere to stay tonight or do you really want to sleep in the car?" he asked as he rose to his feet, he walked over to the counter to order some food

"I'm not serving you if you're ordering food for her" Jeff said calmly

"That's fine. I'll call her a take out, can I get some coffee? It's been a long day and I have a feeling it's going to be an even longer night" Jeff begrudgingly gave the young man some coffee then asked Adam to get Tess off his property.

*

It was a room, a nice enough hotel room with two single beds and a nice view of the desert, Adam sat on one of the beds while Tess was in the bathroom throwing up the food he'd spent good money on. He'd told her what she did; how she single-handedly, through her actions, wiped out an entire race of people and destroyed a world.

"Are you okay?" he asked

"Do you think I'm fucking okay?" she screeched from the bathroom "How do you think I feel? God... knowing what I can become... what I can _do_!"

"You know now, are you going to become like that? Do that?" he asked simply. She came out of the bathroom wiping her face on the towel

"No. I don't want to be like that, I don't want to hurt anyone!" she told him as she came over and sat down next to him "I just want to have what everyone else has. I want to be happy... I know Max will never love me. He's always going to want her, isn't he?"

"Do you really need to ask me that?"

"What am I going to do? I left behind all my clothes, all my stuff and now I have no one"

"You have Ava. When she gets here both of you will have the family that both of you never had and your things can be replaced. I suggest you try making a life for yourself here"

"Why here? They all hate me, how can I live here knowing that they want me dead?"

"So they can keep an eye on you, and to keep you safe. Nasedo will still want to remove you from the picture and try and worm his way into their lives; you can try warning them. Don't let things progress so that Liz does end up as an enemy because then I doubt even Max would be able to stop her from killing you"

"When does Ava get here?" she asked quietly as she tried to calm her queasy stomach. Whatever happened she was not going to be that person.

"Soon, we kind of screwed with time so we're a little ahead of them but they should have picked up Ava, got a plane then rented another van and should arrive early tomorrow morning"

"I can't believe I have a sister"

"You'll have much more than that if you do stay here and settle down" he pointed out. She turned to look at him and her breathe caught in her throat "You offering?"

"No. Not with you... you're beautiful but to me there would always be the possibility that you could become that monster. I wouldn't be able to sleep next to someone like that for the rest of my life" he told her and she looked away as tears came to her eyes "You should get some sleep"

***

Liz arrived back home and sighed deeply, the apartment was dark and her bed was empty, she missed her husband and wanted him here with her. She wondered how it went with his parents

"Max..." she groaned as she took off her coat and switched on a lamp before returning to her bed. It smelt like him so she lay down and wrapped herself in the sheets and smiled feeling sleep come over her.

She was half asleep when she felt it and for a moment worked it into her dreaming then she realised what the fluttering feeling was. Her hands flew to her flat stomach and felt the warmth throbbing under her fingertips "I'm pregnant" she whispered then looked round frantically "MAX!" she cried through their connection.

*

Max had finished telling his father the whole story when he heard Liz screaming through their connection. He jumped to his feet at the same time Isabel did

"Liz!" she cried

"I know. I have to go" he said as he rushed from the room

"What's wrong? Where did he go?" asked Phillip

"Liz was calling him through our connection. Something's wrong with her, I can feel it" she explained

"Why can both of you feel Liz Parker?" Diane looked to her husband then back to her daughter

"What is she to the both of you?"

"To me she's now a sister, to Max... she's his wife. He connected with her so we can all feel her"

"What do you mean connected?" Phillip inquired, Isabel stared at them nervously "How did they connect?"

"Well uhh... they..."

"Oh my god! My little baby boy is having sex!" cried Diane, he tried to comfort her. He sat her down at the table and Isabel slowly crept off before they could ask her anything else.

*

Max arrived back at her apartment, he opened the door then quickly shut it behind him. He raced through the rooms to her where she was sat in bed crying and holding her stomach, she was wrapped up in her sheets

"Liz? Liz, baby, what is it?" he asked as he cupped her face with his hands, he kneeled down on the bed

"Max! Oh my god, Max!" she pulled him tight against her and refused to let go

"What is it? What's wrong? Tell me" he urged her to tell him instead of crying

"Can't you feel it?" she whispered as she pulled back, she took his hand and led it to her flat stomach and the fluttering inside "I'm pregnant"

"How is that possible? You asked me to..."

"I think it's because I'm sixteen again. Old self before I asked you to do that to me" she shook her head "I never thought I'd have children! I don't deserve to be a mother"

"What? Why?"

"Max I never told you this... you never knew because you couldn't sense them. It killed me each time I did it, it destroyed me completely and I couldn't go through it again that's why I asked you to destroy my ovaries and womb"

"You're not making any sense! Tell me, love, what happened?"

"I've been pregnant before Max. Twice... and I got rid of them. I killed my babies" she confessed. He blinked then pulled away from her

"You killed our babies? When? When were you pregnant?"

"Max..." she sobbed

"TELL ME WHEN WHERE YOU PREGNANT!" he roared angrily

"On Antar! I was pregnant on Antar!" she shouted back and his eyes went wide in realisation. They had never had the chance to be together on Antar; Kivar wouldn't allow it... the only person Liz had been with was when Kivar had raped her

"Liz... they were Kivar's weren't they?" he whispered as he came back to the bed to hold her "You got rid of them so he wouldn't be able to use them"

"Even though they were his, they were mine too and I didn't want them to go through the pain and torture we felt when we were on Antar. I couldn't... wouldn't be a good mother if I let that happen so I... I killed them!"

"Why didn't you tell me?" he whispered

"I couldn't... I was so ashamed and scared by what I did. I couldn't tell you... I'm sorry Max, so very sorry, and now I don't know what to do. I'm pregnant and it's ours and I don't know what to do"

"It's our baby" he whispered, he knew that she wouldn't be with anyone else but it hadn't quite sunk in that it was his baby too "Liz... let's have it. I know we both look sixteen now but we're old, I want to have this baby with you and no matter what happens I'll always be there for you"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure. You're the love of my life and I want our baby to be a product of that love! I know that everyone's going to look at us for getting pregnant while we're teenagers but this should be easy. We've travelled through time, fought in an interstellar war and... killed an evil tyrant" she blinked at the last part

"You killed Kivar" she whispered "You really killed him"

"I drove him made with my memories of pain and suffering. It killed him... I killed him for what he did to us" he explained and she smiled through her tears, she pulled him close to kiss him

"Stay with me tonight. Stay with us" she whispered

"You didn't have to ask. I'm not going anywhere" he kicked off his shoes before stripping his clothes off so he could curl up and join her in bed.

***

Alex groaned as the plane landed, it had been a long day and he had a feeling that it was just going to get worse. Ever since Michael sensed Liz being made the Queen and Kal declaring that if that were possible then she'd be pregnant too, he'd been stressed. He was also a little afraid, Kal had told them on the plane that she now had the power to mindwarp... he cursed himself for fearing one of his best friends but he couldn't help it. He knew that she would never use that power on him or any of their slowly developing family but that didn't stop his irrational fear.

"I can't believe Liz is pregnant. I always thought we'd be the ones to take that leap" said Maria from her seat on the other side of the plan

"Yeah, so did I" her boyfriend replied "Do you think she knows that she's pregnant?"

"If not she's going to have one hell of a shock when we tell her" smirked Kyle, Laurie smacked his arm

"I'm looking forward to meeting Liz and Max and Isabel and really getting to know them. I want to find a place to live in Roswell... I know I have the mansion in Tucson but I want to live around you guys. You're my family"

"Aw that's so sweet I think I'm going to be sick" sneered Langley "I can't wait to get you off my hands. I'm sick of babysitting you! And then what does the Queen go and do? Get herself pregnant!"

"Quit complaining Kal, this is a good thing! I'm going to be an aunty!"

"Good thing for you maybe, I had a comfortable little life and now I'm babysitting you all and now I have one more person to worry about!" he snapped just as the stewardess came out from the cockpit

"We're going to be landing in a minute, sir" she announced "Could everyone return to their seats and fasten themselves in"

Everyone buckled up and prepared to land. Kal grumbled the entire time the plane was landing and didn't stop until he was in his limo and drinking down some heavy clear liquid. After that everyone ignored anything that spilled out of his mouth.

The limo cruised into Roswell and along main street, Michael had taken over since Kal was on his way to becoming merry

"I think it's best if we all go home for now. So, Alfred, could you drop us off at our homes"

"Very good sir" Alfred replied

"What about you Michael? You don't have a home, you left Hanks"

"I'll just go to Max's for the time being and crash on his floor" he replied "I think it's best if we all meet up at the CrashDown tomorrow morning for a meeting and discuss what we have to do"

"Okay... I can't wait to see my mom and dad" said Alex quietly. Maria looked at him for a moment but said nothing; she could always talk to him later.

"What are you going to do Laurie?"

"Find a hotel I guess... until I can find a place of my own" she told them

"We're at Miss Deluca's home now, sir" said Alfred. Michael and Maria got out of the limo so he could walk her to the door

"I'm going to miss sleeping next to you SpaceBoy" she whispered as he folded her up safe in his arms

"Me too... it's not going to be the same. But I'll see you in the morning?" she looked up at him, smiled then nodded. He kissed her softly then watched her go inside before he went back to the limo.

Kal was on the floor of the limo giggling to himself, Michael was just grateful that he wasn't bitching about them all anymore

"Let's drop off Kyle next, your house is closest right?" he asked and Kyle nodded. Alfred dropped Kyle then Alex off at their homes leaving Kal, Laurie and Michael "Just stop on the corner of Murray Drive and I'll walk the rest of the way. I'll leave you two to get a hotel room and I'll see you in the morning, sis"

"Thanks, but I have the right to bitch about babysitting a drunk Kal" she smirked at the irony then he grabbed his bag and got out

"See you in the morning" he said then wandered down the street towards Max's house. He climbed into his brother's window and found the room dark and empty.

Sighing he unrolled the sleeping back, kicked his shoes off, lay down and went to sleep.

TBC...


	18. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

Kevin was waiting for them when they arrived. They pulled up in their rental van and got out

"Did you bring her?"

"Yes but there was... a complication" said Griffin

"What kind of complication?" he demanded as he stepped away from the barrier he had been leaning on "Where is she?"

"She's in the back of the van. She connected to Tess" explained Connie "There was no way around it. She would have been more trouble if she hadn't"

"So they're sisters now?" Kevin scowled. He shook his head then went round the back of the van and opened the door. Ava was sat there with her knees up huddled to keep warm "Miss Parker, I am Kevin Jones. I would like you to come with me so I can take you to your sister"

She got out of the van and looked round the early morning desert; it was still a little cold but it would warm up soon enough. He pointed at his car and gestured for her to get in and she did without saying a word.

"Connie, Griffin... I want you to bring Courtney in from the cold then go back under the radar until I contact you again"

"What?" Connie cried "No! We're in Roswell; we're a part of the resistance! Let us fight!"

"There's nothing to fight at the moment, Miss Griffin. If you want to stay in Roswell that's fine but I don't want you making yourself known to the Royals otherwise they're going to want to know how you know what you know and they aren't ready for that"

"Understood, sir, Connie c'mon. Let's go" said Griffin pulling his daughter back to the van.

"But dad!" she whined angrily. She reluctantly followed her father to the van and sat sulkily in the passenger seat.

Kevin got in his car and turned it towards the city limits, it wasn't that long before he would unite Tess and Ava. He sighed; he would have to reveal everything then and that was something he wasn't looking forward to.

"What's your part in all this?" she asked suddenly, he looked at her and knew she was trying to piece things together

"I'm... an anomaly. I'm not even sure why or how I'm here, just that I am" he began "I'm a soldier, a body guard to be precise. I was on Antar... I was the King's bodyguard"

"So you knew us all in the past? You knew Zan" she stated quietly, he just laughed and shook his head

"I knew Max... and it wasn't the past. I'm from the future" he replied making her blink with confusion "We came back in the Granolith but something happened to me. After I came back I found out that I could travel through time without the use of the Granolith. That gave me the ability to travel round and recruit the people loyal to us, once I had done all that I needed to I travelled to some out of the way time and watched thing's progress. I ended up getting married and having a kid"

"What happened to them?"

"I had to leave them, my wife Charlotte never found out why I left or what happened to me. She passed away last year" he looked away for a moment to avoid tears from falling

"I'm sorry" she whispered then put her feet up on the dashboard and leaned back in her seat "What about your... did you have a boy or a girl?"

"I had a little boy" he smiled "He'd be a little older than you now"

"Maybe when this is all over you can find him and tell him that you're his dad"

"Maybe" he answered her nervously.

They pulled up outside a hotel and he cut the engine. She followed him inside and he asked the clerk what room Adam was staying in.

"It's number seventeen. Go up the stairs to the first floor and it's the seventh door on the left" the clerk said.

"I'm really excited I'm going to meet my sister" said Ava trying not to sound too over enthusiastic. They were about to go in when the door opposite them opened and Kal and Laurie came out, everyone in the hall paused for a moment then all hell broke loose. Kal lifted his hand and pulled Laurie behind him, Kevin held up his hand and pulled Ava behind him

"Who the hell are you?" Langley demanded

"Kjou Arn, bodyguard to the King of the Royal Family. I think we best go inside" he suggested as he opened his door to reveal Adam and Tess.

"Damn, boy you have a lot of explaining to do" hissed Kal

"We're late for the meeting" Laurie whispered

"What meeting?" Kevin asked curiously

"At the CrashDown, we're having a big sit down to talk about everything" he told the other protector who just smirked

"Well then let's not make you late. Adam, bring Tess; we're going to the CrashDown"

Kevin was quiet as he followed Kal's limo to the CrashDown. Ava and Tess were sat together in the back holding hands and Adam was in the front passenger seat.

"I can't believe I'm going to meet them" he whispered quietly "It's the Royal Family... the other shapeshifter Kal is going to be there. I've waited for so long to meet him"

"Why?" Kevin asked

"Because he's the only one possible to be my father. My father was alien and he left me and my mom when I was just a baby"

"Kal's a shapeshifter right" asked Tess from the back, Ava was staring at Kevin but remained quiet

"Yeah" said Adam with a growing smile "I'm going to finally meet my father"

"Shapeshifters can't have children, I lived with Nasedo long enough to learn that. It's because they're always shifting that their... reproductive methods just won't work"

"I don't believe you, traitor, you're already starting to spread lies" he hissed angrily

"She isn't lying" said Kevin "It's true that shapeshifters can't produce offspring. They've never been able to reproduce; they're genetically created on Antar. We're here"

*

It was tense in the cafe; on one side sat Max and Liz's parents and the Sheriff and on the other sat the kids all talking happily about being reunited. Maria was sat on Liz's right holding her hand while Max sat on her left with his arm around her, both of them were giving her support and protecting her.

Michael nodded to Laurie as she came through the door and sat down next to Kyle and he did a double take when he saw Kevin. Both Michael and Max had the same reaction

"Kevin!"

"Kjou!" they said at the same time. They both stared at each other before looking at the alien

"Hello your highness, hello right commander. I guess I should tell you everything"

"Yes, you better had" Max said when he spotted Tess and Ava standing in the corner.

"Well I came back like you did but the Granolith was programmed to merge the two versions of a person together. My version in this line hasn't been born yet so I became a time anomaly, survived somehow and found myself in the time when Liz came back. I discovered that I could travel through time so I used my new found power to help the others. I went a little too far so all I could do was keep an eye on your four in your pods. But I... I uhh got distracted, I met someone and I fell in love with her and we got married. Then when I was living the high life the signal went off signifying the birth of the Royal Four, by the time I got there they were all gone and it was only Michael left behind. He wandered in the desert for about three weeks, I stayed out there all that time looking after him"

"That was you!" Michael gasped "You're the one that brought me in to social services. You're the one who named me!"

"I knew your name because I came from the future so I gave it to you. I'm sorry about leaving you with social services to end up in the situation you did, if I'd known then I would have done something about it. Once I knew you were all in stable homes I went to find the missing one"

"Me" whispered Tess "You tried to find me"

"I knew what you would become so I tried to prevent that but I couldn't track the shapeshifter so I ended up losing you. I knew I could do no more in the past so I came forward until last year and I recruited several people who were apart of the resistance before Earth was destroyed; Connie, Griffin, Courtney... Adam"

"Tell him" Ava ordered him "Tell him the truth"

"Adam... I'm your father. I'm sorry I left you and Charlotte, but I'm a soldier. I did my duty"

"All this time, you never told me. You know all the money you gave me I spent trying to find my dad. Trying to find you!" he shouted

"I'm sorry" he replied "But you know what's at stake, I told you what my future is like. I know it's too late to even suggest this but maybe we could settle down and be a family here in Roswell?"

"I have a home. It's in Ohio" he snapped "I'm going home..."

"Adam..."

"No one's going anywhere" Tess grabbed Ava's hand out of fear as they saw Nasedo standing there. "Miss Parker... I think it's best if you came with me" as soon as he said her name several people moved in front of her including Max

"You can't have her!" he hissed angrily

"You think you're going to stop me? She's pregnant with the heir of Antar; she's my ticket home and no one, not even you, is going to get in my way"

"Pregnant?" Max and Liz's parents both gasped

"Max" Liz put her hand on his arm moving him aside "I know what I'm doing" she walked past everyone

"Liz!" Maria called after her but Nasedo was already roughly leading her away

"No! Not my wife! Don't take my wife!" cried Max "You monsters have taken everything from me! I won't let you take her too!" he hurried after them in time to see Liz sat staring at him through a car window as it sped away "NO! Liz! No!"

"Max" he turned around and saw her standing there, he pulled her into his arms and held her "Get rid of Nasedo before he realises I mindwarped him" he turned back around, threw up his hand and the car exploded. Once it was burning steadily he looked at Liz who was reaching out for him

"Liz!" he cried just as she collapsed

"I've never used that before, it felt so weird being inside his head. It was all wrong" she whispered just before she fell asleep

"Max, get her inside" said Nancy as the others came out. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her inside through the cafe and up the stairs to lay her on the couch in their apartment.

"Is she okay?" asked Maria as she followed her best friends up the stairs

"I don't know. She mindwarped him... I don't know the effect that it could of had on her" he explained as he stroked her hair. He'd almost lost her! Maria left the room and quickly went downstairs

"Tess, Ava... you know how the mindwarp affected you right? The first time you used it" she asked, Ava shook her head

"I only used it once when I was a little girl, it scared me so I never used it again" she explained, then everyone looked to Tess

"I know" she whispered

"Then come with me" asked Maria "Please..." she looked around then back at her new found sister. They were all a family, all happy and depending on one another... she wanted that more than anything! She wanted to belong to that family that cared and would do anything for one another! Tess nodded then quickly followed Maria up the stairs.

As soon as Max saw Tess he stood up and put his arm out trying to protect Liz and their unborn baby

"Why did you bring her?" he demanded

"Because she's the only one who knows how the mindwarp affects people, she can help Liz"

"I'm not letting her near my wife or our baby! She's a killer"

"Max, she could be able to help her. Do you really think I would suggest it if it wasn't for the sake of helping Liz. In your line Tess is responsible for killing Alex and through her actions Michael, my son and daughter and me. Do you really think I would put my trust in that person if it wasn't necessary?" she asked him. He sighed then sat back down on the edge of the couch

"Help her" he asked not taking his eyes off Liz. Tess hurried over then knelt down and got a proper look at Liz Parker; she was so small and fragile. Not the least bit angry or upset like their brief encounter in the CrashDown last night.

"She... she's so beautiful" she whispered "But she just looks like a little girl"

"She is" said Jeff as he and Nancy came up to check on their daughter "Or she was. But she changed and became hard... harder than anyone should ever be" she sighed and reached out both hands to frame Liz's face. Concentrating for a moment she figured out what had happened

"She's fine. It's because she never used that power before, the synapses in her brain are getting used to the new power. It's like using a muscle for the first time. She'll be fine" she stood back up and Max scowled

"Thank you" he said gruffly "But don't think this clears you"

"I think we should talk" said Nancy as she ushered Tess into the kitchen leaving Jeff, Maria and Max with her daughter.

"I want to thank you for checking over my daughter, but Max's is right. That doesn't mean you're cleared of what you did, I know that you haven't done those things and I hope to God you never do, but to me and most of us you'll always be the one who gave my daughter such misery. You have been told about the possible future, right?"

"Yes. Adam told me" she said as she leaned against the cupboards "I don't want to be that person. When he told me, told me what I could become... I threw up"

"When I was younger, before Liz was born, and I was just a teenager myself I used to watch this TV show. It was about this man, an alien really, and he was the last of his kind... there was a great war and his home planet and all his people were wiped out. The show was brought back a few years ago and it's doing good, at lot of people enjoy watching it... but you want to know the saddest thing about it?"

"What?" Tess shrugged her shoulders unsure where this was going

"It was just a show, its fiction. That's why it's so entertaining because it's just a fictional story that will never happen to anyone. But it happened to my baby girl... she lived her life and watched her world get destroyed and all the people she fought for were killed. She was the last of her kind and that was because of you"

"I won't be like that"

"I hope not... because if you do I'll make sure you're dead before 2002. My daughter, my little girl suffered like no one should and I couldn't do a thing to stop it"

"I won't become that!" she repeated "I just want to live, I want to have a family; I've never had that! I want what she has! I want someone who loves me and wants to have children with me, I want a family and a mother and a father! I never had that and Nasedo always said that's what I'd get when I found Max and the others!" she was openly crying "But I won't have that with him! I won't have that family that I was told I would because she replaced them! She took them away from me!"

"No" Nancy shook her head "She didn't take anything away from you. Max would never love you, I've seen the way he looks at her and the way she looks at him; even though they're kids it's the real deal. They can be your family if you let them; you just need to show them that you can be trusted"

"How can I do that?" she whispered

"Tess" both of them turned to see Alex standing there; he was white as a sheet and looked terrified

"Alex? What are you doing?" cried Nancy

"It's okay Mrs Parker... Tess, would you take a walk with me?"

"I um... okay" she glanced back and forth between them before following him.

*

The walk was a quiet one; he was extremely nervous the entire time and got even more nervous when they reached the library

"Why here?"

"Because there's something in there... it took a lot for me to come here with you, to even be around you because of what you did to me... what you could do to me. We're going round talking about Liz's past like it's already happened. But it hasn't, I'm hoping that it never happens but that depends on you..." he trailed off as he nervously then reached out for her hand.

As soon as their skin touched images exploded behind Tess's eyes, she saw Alex holding the destiny book in the library and he was talking to her but she couldn't hear what he was saying, she shook her head before grabbing the book and blasting him with her powers. Alex flew back into a shelf before slumping down on the floor dead

"Nooooo!" she screamed pulling away from him "I won't kill him! I won't do that to him! Get away from me! Go before I kill you!" she turned and ran off as fast as she could to get away from him.

Alex almost had a heart attack when she started screaming than ran off like the devil was chasing her. He pulled out his phone and called the CrashDown explaining that Tess had lost it and done a runner.

She got as far as the parking lot of the library before she stopped; looking round she was grateful that he hadn't followed her.

"Why? Why did he bring me here?" she asked herself as she tried to catch her breath then she looked up at the library "The destiny book. He must have wanted to see if I would get it and what I would do with it! I'm going to destroy it! If I destroy it then it will never be translated!" she hurried back round the front of the library, cautiously checking to see if Alex was there but was surprised to see that he was gone. She quickly hurried up the steps then into the library "Find the book... find the book... find the book"

It didn't take her long to find the energy signal; she could practically sense the hand print seal above the shelves. She climbed up and pulled it out of the wall before climbing back down, she looked it over

"Tess" she jumped then turned to see Alex standing there "Give me the book"

"No!"

"Give it to me so we can translate it. It explains how to use the Granolith... we'll translate it together"

"What do you mean together?"

"I mean together... forget Isabel and all the others. Forget them... I don't care if it's just you and me. In fact I'd prefer that... so give me the book and we'll leave all the others behind" she bit her lip then gave the book to him

"Good girl..." he said then started laughing "Now I have the manual to the Granolith... I'm one step closer to getting off this god forsaken rock"

"You! You're not Alex!" she gasped then quickly blasted him just as Michael, Isabel, Kyle and Laurie came rushing in

"ALEX!" screamed Isabel. Tess rushed over to grab the destiny book away from the Alex imposter "You killed him!" Isabel advanced on the smaller blonde who just closed her eyes as she gripped the destiny book so it dissolved into silver water. Isabel was about to use her powers on her when Laurie called out

"Stop! Look!" she pointed at the body slumped on the floor; it was a half burnt Nasedo. The librarian came over trying to find out about all the noise, spotted Nasedo before going back to call an ambulance and the police.

"Find Alex, we need to get out of here. We'll deal with Tess later" said Laurie as she took charge of the situation. Isabel was staring at Nasedo's body and felt such anger and fear about what she almost did "Isabel? Isabel! NOW SOLDIER! That is an order!" she shouted and Isabel reacted. The four of them hurried outside to find Alex sitting on the wall

"Alex!" she gasped as she rushed down the steps and pulled him into her arms

"Save it for later, Evans" Michael said gruffly as they hurried past the hugging couple on the way to the jeep.

*

She was panicking, she was beyond scared! She wasn't quite sure what she should do but she knew she couldn't stay. Using her connection with Ava, she backtracked her way to the CrashDown.

So much had happened in those few hours, forty eight hours ago she'd been at home pretending to be a regular normal girl

"Can I ever go back to that?" she whispered to herself. Inside the cafe Ava got up and came to the door, she opened it and leaned out

"Everyone's here. Isabel and Alex have something to say to you" she told her "Are you coming?"

"Yeah... yeah sure" she followed Ava inside and felt a little jealous that her twin seemed more at ease with these people than she was. They were all squashed into a booth at the back and both Liz and Max were there.

"Tess..." Isabel gasped when she saw her, she jumped to her feet and pulled her into a hug "I'm sorry I almost... I almost killed you. I thought you killed Alex"

"I... I should have realised it wasn't him. I don't want to be a murderer and yet when I saw that... when I saw what I did..."

"What do you mean... saw?" asked Liz leaning forward

"Before I went into the library I saw a flash, I was in there and Alex was talking to me. He had hold of the book and I killed him and took it" she tried to explain

"I think she has my power" the darker haired girl stated "Maybe when you chose me as Queen I got the power to mindwarp, maybe it's a power specifically for royalty? Who knows how this all works, so if you have my foresight then Ava should have it too"

"It scares me" said Tess softly "I don't know how you could stand it"

"I helped people. When we were on the run from the Special Unit I used my power to help all the people I saw; we did good deeds"

"And avoided the law" Max finished for her "We travelled a lot, we got to see things we never could have imagined and we did it as a family. We're a family"

"I can't believe I had the chance to be a part of that family and I let it slip away" she replied "It's what I always wanted..."

"Maybe..." Ava began "Maybe you can have that. Maybe we can both have that; I didn't have a family either. Its cornball but it'd be nice" she trailed off when Kevin's phone rang

"Hello? What? How long ago? Okay, I want you to keep me posted on that. Thank you. What's happened over Nasedo? I see... well it can't be helped, at least we have a heads up" he rung off then relayed the news to the group "The duplicates of Max, Michael and Isabel are on their way here and the Special Unit has come to Roswell over the remains of Nasedo. So I think it would be best if you avoid using your powers until they go away again. I'm going back to Los Angeles, if you need to contact me or any of my agents please don't hesitate" he handed them a card. Max stood up

"Thank you for doing all this"

"It's my job and my duty... I just wish..." he trailed off as he quickly glanced at Adam "Well. Goodbye then"

"I should be going too. If you're all going to lay low then you don't need me around to protect you; that guy seemed to do a better job of it anyhow" said Langley "Besides I have a life that I can't easily run away from..."

"I'm sorry I pulled you away from it" said Liz as Max sat back down and put his arm around her

"It's duty and well... you're good kids and I uhh..."

"Don't hurt yourself. I know what you mean" she interrupted him, saving from embarrassing himself

"Thanks. Well I gotta get out of here, I bet there's been so many crappy scripts given the go ahead while I've been away babysitting you Royal Rejects" he shook his head then left waving as he went.

"Do you think we'll be alright without him? Especially with the Special Unit?" asked Max nervously, the SU had always been a sore point for him.

"We're going to have to be. We're a family now and as long as we stick together we'll be fine" replied Liz "We have to be..."

TBC...


	19. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

"Sheriff?"

"Can I help you?" asked Jim, he looked up then froze in his tracks. The young, dark haired man came into the office holding out his hand

"Deputy Dave Fisher..."

"Hanson, why don't you and the boys go take a break for about fifteen minutes. I need to have a talk with our new deputy" Valenti ordered him to go. He bumbled out of the room and shut the door "Have a seat, Fisher"

"Thank you sir"

"You can drop the accent" he snapped harshly as he laid his gun on his desk. It had been two weeks since Nasedo had been spirited away from the morgue. He'd noticed people around town but so far they hadn't caused any trouble; he was sure that the others noticed it to but they were doing their best to stay under the radar "I know who you are and why you're here"

"I don't know what you're talking about"

"Save it, Pierce! I know why you're here and you're overstepping your jurisdiction" he glared at the man coldly who just sighed

"I don't know how you found out but rest assured I'm not going to go away until I've found what I've come here for. Did you know that the man who died two weeks ago wasn't from around here? He's dead and his daughter is missing... imagine my surprise when surveillance and CCTV footage places her right in that library where he died. I'm looking for your cooperation on this sheriff"

"No" he said quickly "I don't want to be a part of anything you're involved in. I want you to go back to the Special Unit and never come back; you're not welcome in this town and if you want to remain healthy and alive I suggest you leave"

"Are you threatening me, Sheriff?" he sneered with a growing grin

"No I'm warning you. This is mine town and I have family here... a big family that I would do anything to protect. Trust me when I say this, you don't want to get involved in this... it's going to cost you your life. Now I don't care about that because I know what you're capable of but I do care about the innocent people you try to take and put in your damn White Room"

"How the hell do you know so much?"

"Need to know, Pierce, your job is to fight the aliens right? Then why don't you take a few good men and investigate Copper Summit, you'll find plenty of aliens worth killing there"

"My girlfriend's from Copper Summit" he scowled "Are you trying to make a joke there?"

"No, not at all, the congresswoman is one of them. They're skins... you kill them by destroying the seal at the bottom of their backs. Now get out of here and don't come back"

"You know I could have you for withholding information"

"Withholding information? Me? Never. Now leave before I call a few friends in the press and tip them off that the FBI is here in Roswell. You can't afford that kind of publicity, now can you?"

"This isn't over" growled Pierce as he stood up and left the room slamming the door behind him. Jim scowled then pulled out his phone and sent messages to both Kevin and Kal about Pierce being on the scene and to stay alert.

***

"It's been two weeks and everything has settled down, it settled down far too quickly and I think this quiet time is brilliant. Laurie, Ava and Tess have found a nice place and they're living together, Kyle visits Laurie often and Ava and Adam seem to have developed a nice rapport. There's still no sign of the dupes yet but I'm sure they're not that far from us... and well Max is living with me now, I love how young he looks but I miss his grey hair sometimes. I know he's growing it out for me, my wonderful husband!" she looked up from writing in her journal when she felt someone watching her. She spotted the culprit who quickly looked away and pretended to be engrossed in sanding down the crib he'd put together for their baby "Caught mister"

"I wasn't doing anything" he answered her while he tried not to smile

"Ahuh" she drawled as she lifted herself off the couch. A few days after Kal left all this stuff for the apartment had arrived with a little card that sound 'House Warming, Kal x'. He'd kitted out most of her apartment including the nice little couch she loved laying back on

"Careful" Max jumped up to help her up. Liz was about four months pregnant; she was going through an alien pregnancy and it would be about another two weeks before the baby was born. She swatted his hands away

"I can stand up on my own" she said playfully, he'd been so obsessive and attentive towards her these past two weeks. Moving in and helping her set things up for the baby then finally being unable to take his eyes off her, she'd caught him watching her a few times and it warmed her heart that he was there to do that

"I know" he replied "Maybe I wanted to put my arms around you and kiss you? I haven't done that in the last twenty minutes, I think I'm having withdrawals" he put his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her forehead "God I love you"

"Max..." she whispered then took hold of one of his hands and brought it to his stomach "I want to name her Claudia"

"Clau... she's a girl? Can you sense it?" he asked, she nodded with a smile "A girl, we're going to have a baby girl!"

"Yeah!" her smile grew as he hugged her again

"I love you" he whispered into her ear then grew silent and thoughtful for a moment "Marry me. Before she's born... marry me"

"Max" she gasped

"I want to be your husband when our daughter comes into the world"

"Yes... like you needed to ask. To me you already are my husband, you always will be" she told him then there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it" she said "You go back to the crib. It's not going to be long before Claudia comes into the world"

Tommy was at the door when she opened it, he took one look at her stomach laughed then swept past her

"Everyone's talking and what they're saying is true" he said as he settled himself on the couch. He leaned forward and sighed "And... I guess I should tell you this"

"What? What is it?" asked Max from his spot on the floor sanding away at the crib still

"Topolski's here" he replied and Max stopped sanding and let his hand drop to the floor

"That means that Pierce isn't too far behind, I think we should call Kal" said Liz as she wrapped her arms around her stomach and walked over to Max. The whole thing with Pierce had always stayed with him because by the time everything was settling down he and the others had set off the destiny message and when she came back they'd never found the time to talk about it.

He looked up at her with such fear burning in his eyes; she closed her eyes tight as he wrapped his arms around her heavy stomach

"Liz I'm scared" he whispered "And not just for myself... I know what he's capable of"

"I thought it was best you should know. She was asking about you in class, asking about the both of you and why you weren't there"

"Did you say anything?" she replied as her fingers wound through her husband's hair

"Are you kidding? Of course I didn't... but she's asking questions. Look, I know it isn't my place to suggest anything but I think you should bring her into the fold; from the memories you showed me she was betrayed and she came to you for help. She was killed by them... if you show her like you did me then I'm sure she can be trusted"

"No! No! We are not doing that! We're not going to do that!" snapped Max "She's Special Unit! I don't want anyone from the Special Unit near my family! We stick with the 'lay low' plan and don't draw attention to ourselves"

"Sorry for pointing this out but isn't Liz going to pop out an alien baby?" Tommy quipped moodily "I'm sure that would raise a few flags"

"He's right Max... we can't hide here forever. Sooner or later people are going to notice that our baby is nine times faster than other babies"

"I know! I know!" he growled as he stood up and framed her face with his hands "I don't want anything to happen to you. Either of you... I love you both too much"

"I know, baby, I love you too" she kissed him softly "But we need to come up with a plan of action. We need to be offensive rather than just laying low, we need to keep an eye on Topolski and be on the lookout for Pierce. Remember what it was like during the war and all the strategies we used? Well it's sort of like that now, yes we're not at war but we can make use of those strategies to survive"

"Okay" he nodded then she turned to Tommy

"I want to go shopping... for baby things. Can I... Can I tell him?"

"I-I-I..."

"He's not going to tell anyone, we're both relying on each other to keep secrets" she pointed out, he rolled his eyes at that before nodding his consent "Max... Tommy and I would like to have a girly day going shopping and talking about boys... well in my case you"

"He's gay? You're gay!" he grinned "I knew one of you from the football team was gay! Years ago I thought it was Kyle but I was wrong there!"

"Honey, honey... focus" she got his attention by kissing him "I want to go shopping for baby clothes for Claudia... and I want to have her in the hospital" she said and his happy expression changed instantly

"No" he answered her firmly "It isn't safe"

"Don't you think I know that? Do you really think I would suggest it if I didn't know the risks? I'm a soldier, Max, I always take into account the risks before going into battle" he began to pace nervously

"Any other time I'd let you but not this time. No, not this time! It isn't safe! Not with Topolski and Pierce out there! You have no idea what they'd do to you!"

"I wasn't asking for you permission and I have a fair idea what it's like. We've both been tortured; you can't pull the 'you-don't-know-what-it's-like' card on me! I've been through a hell of a lot of crap and I want to enjoy being pregnant! This is our baby! I want to enjoy feeling my baby growing inside of me and _no one_, not even you, is going to take that away from me!"

Tommy just sucked in a sharp breathe and wondered what the hell was going on, he knew he'd liked guys for a long time but when Liz got all riled up she really did it for him. He'd never got so excited over someone shouting but then again she wasn't like other girls.

"God you're so sexy when you're pissed off" for a second Tommy thought he'd voiced his thoughts but thankfully it was Max who had spoken

"I want you" she replied just as desperately

"I'm leaving" announced Tommy quickly before he got a show he wasn't sure he could handle watching. He opened the door just in time to see Isabel and Michael on the other side

"Tommy Hoag?" cried Isabel

"What the hell are you doing here?" demanded Michael. Both Liz and Max had failed to mention Tommy knowing their secret; he'd avoided them at school to keep up his reputation and to work through all he'd been shown about the future. He'd visited Liz a few times though just to talk and get his head clear about things; it also helped that he had someone he was out to

"Well-I... uhh..." he turned around to get some help from the happy couple but he realised his mistake. Liz had gotten Max's shirt off and she was trailing light down his chest "Oh god, they've already gotten into the light" he shook his head. The other two aliens looked past him to see what he was talking about, Isabel's mouth dropped open and she quickly turned around and put her hands over her ears

"I suggest we get something to eat because they're going to be at it for a while. I'll explain everything" he explained and quickly ushered them out and shut the door behind him.

***

"Topolski" she said as she answered her phone

"It's Pierce. I have a new assignment for you" he said dispensing with pleasantries "I want you go develop a rapport with the Sheriff. He knows things, things he shouldn't know and I want to know why and how"

"Yes sir" she nodded as she did her exercises in her office

"Have you made any progress with the Harding girl?"

"Not much, she's only started at school this week. I do know that she has a twin sister, Ava but they have different names. I can't trace Ava's name, it has nothing to do with either of their parents. It's almost as if she chose it at random"

"In the file I have on the Harding's, Tess is listed as an only child. I want a full dossier on this Ava girl. Are they living together?"

"Yes sir. They have an apartment they're sharing with another girl..." she stopped exercising and opened the file that was on her desk "Laurie DuPree, she has a pretty hefty bank account and there's a claimed relationship between her and a one Michael Guerin"

"Michael Guerin... he was in the CrashDown when that waitress was miraculous healed of a gunshot wound wasn't he?"

"Yes sir he was. Do you think he's somehow related to Tess Harding and Ava Parker?"

"Maybe... what was the name of the waitress was shot? I want you to get me a list of all these people and how they relate to each. There's a bigger picture here, we just need to figure it out"

"The waitresses name is Liz Parker. I think you're right, sir, Laurie DuPree is involved in a relationship with the Sheriff's son. I'll look into this and report back my findings" she said then rung off

"I wouldn't do that if I were you" she looked up to see one of the students standing there

"Oh, you scared me! You're Deluca, Maria... that's right isn't it"

"Don't pull that photographic memory crap on me" she replied roughly as she came into the room and sat down in the chair

"What can I do for you?"

"I came here to help you. I didn't believe it at first... you see I was in the girl's bathroom when I heard. One of the girls in there was talking about a substitute teacher who'd got something wrong and then she said your name... after that I knew where I'd find you"

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure..."

"Kathleen Topolski of the Special Unit, FBI" stated Maria as she folded her arms over her lap and leaned forward. The older woman went pale and had to sit down

"How..."

"That doesn't matter. What matters is you and your life" she told her "You and the choices you make with what I'm about to tell you. I'm not about to tell you everything, yes I'm a part of it, but I'm not sure you can be trusted. We're going to need an ally and from what I know I have reason to believe that ally is you"

"You're not making any sense. How do you know me?"

"Like I said that isn't important. I know why you're here and what you want... you're looking for aliens aren't you. Can I ask, out of interest, which one of us you're investigating?"

"You... you're an... an alien" gasped Topolski, she stood up and quickly went for the gun hidden in her draw

"No I'm not an alien. I'm completely human; not Antarian, not a Skin and not a shapeshifter. So I think you should put that away... we can't exactly have a decent conversation if you're waving a gun in my face"

"Maria? Are you in here?" both of them looked up to see Kyle standing there. As soon as he saw the situation he put his hand up and came into the room "Maria! What the hell is going on? That's Topolski!"

"Kyle... put your hand down. I think we should both just calm down before someone gets hurt"

"What do you think you're doing? Why come here?"

"You have the memories too. You know what happens to her, what Pierce does to her"

"Yes I know. I also remember I got _shot_!" he snapped angrily "Christ if the _General_ knew what you were doing! Let along the King or Queen! How do you think they're going to react when they find out you went to Topolski?" the older woman watched the two younger people arguing and slowly lowered her gun. Kyle noticed this and lowered his arm

"I think we should all sit down and talk about this. I want to know what's going on" she suggested; she wanted to know everything about what they had been talking about.

"Crap. If we get hell for this then I'm going to blame you!"

"We're not telling her everything. Just the stuff relevant to her life" Maria answered as he sat down in the spare seat and Topolski laid her gun on the table. Kyle held up his hand and the gun slid across the desk towards his open palm "Removing temptation" he said as he put the safety on and tossed it onto the small couch behind him.

She blubbered like a fish when she saw him using his powers in front of her, flopping back down in her chair she stared at him wide eyed

"Are you okay?" asked Maria

"You're not an alien... but you are..."

"I'm a hybrid... god that's weird to say that now! I'm... part alien" he said to himself then wriggled in disgust

"What about me? I'm going to give birth to the smartest Antarian babies who ever lived!" Maria giggled

"Hello... we're talking about me here!" snapped Kathleen, a little annoyed that they'd started their own conversation

"Yes... right, sorry" said Kyle before continuing "You die. Murdered"

"I..." she looked round frantically "When? Who?"

"Pierce... in a few months time" Maria told her sadly "He tortured you and you escaped. You came to us for protection"

"How do you know what's going to happen in the future? How do you know that's going to happen to me? It shouldn't be possible!"

"Because the King and Queen that I mentioned before, they came back from the future using a machine... I haven't mentioned their names because they've been through so much. Much more than any person should go through; in their future there was a war and we lost. Their... our enemy took them from the Earth after he destroyed the sun and imprisoned them on the King's home planet. They were locked away and tortured for ten years"

"The sun was destroyed!" she gasped. Maria looked at Kyle who just nodded

"Not just the sun... we lost. Everyone lost... there was nothing left but the King and Queen. They were the last of humanity; they came back to this time so that it would never happen"

"That's what we're trying to do, protect the human race from invasion!"

"But Pierce screwed up along the way. In the line the King and Queen came from he took one of them... He took the King when he was just a teenager and tortured him for information. We're working on making sure that doesn't happen; we're stopping all the events that could have lead up to the end of the world"

"What do you need me to do?"

"Be an ally to us, help us and bring us information on Pierce. He's the one who can't be trusted, he's an evil man and he's part of the reason things ended up the way they did. In return we'll protect you... you'll be a part of the group"

"Maria..."

"The Queen trusted her and she was right to do so. Topolski died trying to get us to believe in her! She was on our side and Pierce knew it and killed her for it!"

"Who are the King and Queen? What are they royalty of?"

"Well I guess Antar" said Kyle "But only the King is from Antar, the Queen was human"

"Was?"

"He changed her like he did with me. He brought us both back from the dead and because of that we're different..."

"So that's how you can do what you can do. But who are they? If you want me to trust you then tell me!"

"Kyle... you can show her part of the future can't you. Show her the leaders of the resistance and what they went through" said Maria. He stared at her for a moment before nodding; Maria was Liz's general just like Michael was Max's. She wouldn't have come if she didn't think it was the right thing to do. He slowly stood up and walked round the side of the desk

"Will this hurt?"

"It won't be painful..."

"But?"

"Brace yourself" he said then put his hands on her hand. She gasped as the images were passed from him to her. When it was over she resisted the urge to scream and throw up

"God! They lived through that! Max and Liz! Oh my God! Oh My God!"

"I think it's time we went. If you need to contact us then you come to us, leave Max and Liz alone for the time being. I have to start my shift at the CrashDown, _life goes on_"

TBC...


	20. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

Tess got home and sighed with relief, it had been a tough week starting school. Thankfully Kal and Kevin had helped her get all her stuff in Phoenix either sold off or brought to the new apartment she shared with Laurie and Ava

"Tough day at school?"

"The worst! God I have so much homework! You're lucky you don't have to do all that"

"Yeah lucky me" she mumbled as she worked on dinner. Tess watched her hurry around trying to make the evening meal almost to perfection

"What's going on?"

"Adam... Adam's coming round" she whispered "I'm cooking him dinner... oh Tess! I'm freaking out here! I've never been around boys apart from Zan and Rath! What am I going to do? What am I going to say? What if he hates me? What if he gets sick off my food and picks up the plate and throws it at me? What if Zan comes and finds that I'm alive and with another guy and kills Adam with the breadsticks! I don't want Zan to kill him with breadsticks!" Tess just watched her rant with humoured disbelief

"Calm down... it's just a date. He's going to show up with something nice for you and you're going to sit down and he's going to see how much effort you put in the meal and just fall madly in love with you if he hasn't already"

"Really?" she asked hopefully, Tess nodded

"Yeah, I really think so. It's going to be fine..." she reassured her new sister then sighed "I'm going to go to bed. I'm not feeling too good; I've had a headache all day"

"Maybe you should see Max about that? We shouldn't get sick"

"I'm fine. It's probably just the stress of moving here and all the other... stuff" she told her twin "I want you to tell me all about it in the morning though, and if you're worried about Zan coming to kill Adam with breadsticks then don't put the breadsticks on the table" she said with a grin. Ava blushed but just nodded

"Night sis!" she called as Tess went into the room they shared with each other.

She kicked her shoes off under her bed before lying down and pulling the covers up over her, she had no idea why she felt so scared about going to sleep... she'd kept seeing things that scared her so much, things from the future that were so terrible and bad. They came every night but she would never remember it in the morning; it was getting stronger and she was beginning to remember brief flashes and images.

"I'm tired" she mumbled to herself "So tired" it didn't take long for sleep to claim her, when she first started getting the visions in her dreams she'd tried not sleeping but that had just made things worse. She was still feeling the effects of the four days she stayed awake nonstop.

"_Rose! Rosie!" she called as she stood in the park, her daughter was playing on the grass with her father "Let's go play on the swings!" _

"_Okay mommy!" said Rose; she was five years old, almost six, and he'd surprised them both with a picnic at the park. She was beautiful, her little girl, with dark blonde hair and big blue eyes! Rose settled on the seat of the swing ready to be pushed when Tess smelt it... she looked around for a moment and saw Zan lying in the grass with his crutches by his side. He'd probably fallen asleep with how hard he was working it wasn't really all that surprising _

"_Are you ready?" she asked turning back to their daughter _

"_Ahuh... I'm ready mommy" replied Rose as Tess began to push her higher and higher. Rose had been swinging back and forth for a few minutes before her voice got a little panicked "Mommy? What's that? Mommy!" Tess grabbed Rose off the swings and pulled her close. _

"Zan_!" she screamed for him but he didn't move. They were coming across the grass towards them and suddenly everyone was running. She didn't want to leave him but she got the impression that he was already gone "Come on Rose! Run!" the two of them took off across the grass leaving the park completely. _

_It was much more violent on the main street, a few houses had already been destroyed and people just lay in the street as the enemy Antarians marched forwards blasting people with their powers. Rose was finding it hard to run so Tess quickly pulled her up into her arms which made running even more difficult; Rose was tall for her age and she wasn't exactly the world's tallest person! _

_She saw the light before she felt it, she could feel the warmth of blood running down her front and she realised she'd been hit. It all happened in slow motion; she fell forwards and tried not to land on her little girl. Tess lay there for a moment waiting to feel the pain but nothing happened. _

"_Mommy" whispered Rose _

"_Shush. Stay still... be quiet" she ordered softly, she knew that she was done for but her daughter didn't have to die. She closed her eyes as an Antarian came over to see if she was alive, he stood for a moment before she sensed him moving away. Carefully peeking out of one eye she watched the line of enemy Antarians run further down the street until there were out of sight completely leaving behind smoking rubble and empty shells "Rose. Listen to mommy, I want you to..." she looked down at her daughter who was staring at her "Rose?" Rose was staring at her but her eyes were empty and unfocused, she looked down to see the large soggy red patch on her white shirt and she realised that she wasn't the one who'd been hit. She couldn't help but scream as she sat up and pulled her into her arms _

"Aaaaaarhhhhhhhhhhh!" she screamed as she jerked awake in bed. She remembered it all and she looked down to find her arms empty "Rose!"

As soon as Adam and Ava heard her screaming they both rushed into her room, Laurie came out to see what was going on and stood in the doorway

"Tess? Sweetie? What's wrong? What happened?" asked Ava as she cupped her sisters face

"My daughter! My little girl!" she sobbed "They killed her!" she glanced from her sister to Adam who pulled out his phone and called his father.

"Tess it was just a dream, it wasn't real" Ava tried to convince her but she just shook her head

"No it wasn't. I saw it! I saw it!"

"Ava, she has the power to see the future. She got it off Liz when Max replaced Tess as the Queen" said Adam before he went back to explaining what had happened to his estranged father "My father says to put her to sleep and get Max and Liz"

"No! No! I have to save my baby!" she screamed wriggling away from Ava to get away from them "No! Rose! My baby! I _won't_ let you take her away from me!" Adam snapped his phone shut and helped Ava corner Tess so she could put her back to sleep. She fought back but that managed to knock her unconscious using their powers and get her back into the bed

"You get them, I want to watch over her" she said softly

"No, you should come with me" he said as he put his hand on her shoulder "She's dangerous and this just proves it. She was ready to hurt you to get this _Rose_ back"

"Wouldn't you try if you lost your child? And she's not dangerous! She's my sister! I know her. Why does everyone believe she's evil"

"Because she is"

"I'm her copy... am I evil too?" she hissed

"You're different"

"Why?" she snapped back angrily, she turned to glare at him "She's not evil and if you really believe that she is when she's done nothing bad except protect us and prove you all wrong. If she's so evil then that means I am too and if you have a problem with that Mr Goody Two Shoes then I don't see any future for you and me"

"Fine. You're evil, you're both fucking mad and evil and you should both burn in hell" he hissed as he turned on his heel and left the room. Laurie stepped aside as he moved through the doorway and watched him go before turning back to the twins

"Is she going to be okay?" she asked

"Fuck off!" screamed Ava angrily. She got up from the bed and slammed the door shut in Laurie's face before returning back to sit on the edge of the bed "I would have called my daughter Rose" she told her sleeping sister as she stroked her hair back off her damp forehead

***

Max and Liz came into the apartment, both of them trying not to sulk for being interrupted for this mini emergency

"She still asleep?" asked Isabel, Ava nodded as she sat down on the couch rubbing her neck

"What did she see?" Liz inquired, she was the only one who knew how powerful and terrifying the visions and images she used to have could be

"I don't know. She said about her daughter dying" whispered Ava "I could feel the pain through our connection. She got even worse when she woke up and found Rose not there"

"Rose?" asked Maria

"That's her daughter's name. I know because if I had kids I would have called my daughter Rose" she looked away to hide the tears, it was clear that she had been as affected by this as much as Tess had been

"We should wake her up. We need more information" stated Adam as he moved to the bedroom door, Ava stood up sharply blocking him from going any further

"Leave her alone. She saw something that no mother should ever see! You're not going to wake her up and interrogate her!"

"Are you going to stop me?" he was still a little annoyed with her for how she reacted before

"Enough!" yelled Liz "Ava is right. Seeing your child die is something that no mother should see... we'll get the story when she wakes up" Adam sat back down. Laurie and Maria wandered into the kitchen to make food for everyone, Max and Liz curled up together and he put his hand on her stomach to feel their baby.

*

Her dreams were being haunted, the sight of seeing her daughter dying had burst the flood gates on her visions and all the ones she'd had but couldn't remember where merging together to form a jumbled story. She could see the crash as if she was actually a part of it, she felt the pain of seeing Lonnie die as if it was Ava who had gone through the windshield. Rath was screaming but it sounded distant and there was a searing unbearable pain in her legs then everything shifted again and it was just white, pure whiteness and pain

"ZAN!" she screamed as she jerked awake in bed, several of the others came rushing in "I saw Zan... he was in a crash. They took him from the hospital about a week ago, that's why they haven't come here yet"

"Who took him?" demanded Ava "What about the others? Where are Rath and Lonnie? They wouldn't let someone take him!"

"Lonnie is... and Rath is... he was in a coma. I saw what they did to him; they switched the machines off when he was fighting for his life!"

"Who did? Who was it who did all this?"

"White. The whiteness" she whispered "The White came and took him. It's clean but evil"

"No" said Max firmly "No. Don't mention that! Don't speak of it!"

"Max... she doesn't know what it is. I never told her about your past, only what she does. No one's told her about it" said Adam as he glared at Tess "There's no way she could know about the White Room"

"What's the White Room?" asked Ava fearfully "Is that were Zan is?"

"If... if he is then we have to get him out. I was only in there for a day, it's been a week for Zan, if he's alive then it's a miracle" he whispered, Liz reached over and put her hand on his arm

"We'll get him out... Rath and Lonnie too" she nodded

"But Lonnie is..." began Tess, she glanced at Isabel before looking away. Ava lifted her chin getting her attention

"Lonnie might have been horrible to me but she was my family. What happened to her?"

"She... she was killed in the car crash" she replied "I'm sorry, Ava" Ava bowed her head and began to cry. Adam bit his lip before sucking in a sharp breath and walking across the room to sit on the bed next to her, he put his hand on her shoulder. She threw herself in his arms and sobbed.

Liz scowled angrily at the image of Ava crying on Adam's shoulder; to her Ava was family and someone had made a member of her family cry! She wasn't going to let them get away with this!

"We need to form a plan..." said Laurie "We need to do what you did last time you got Max out. It worked didn't it?"

"Yes it did" said Michael "But we don't have Nasedo helping us"

"It won't work without him" said Max

"Langley. We can get Langley to do it" suggested Adam who was still comforting Ava "Whatever Nasedo did Kal can take his place right? We can't just leave him in there! He's Ava's family!" he was desperate and looked so hurt. Ava still loved Zan even though he didn't love her.

"We can't... it's not fair on Kal"

"What about Zan! Just leave him there?" yelled Tess

"No, of course not!" Max snapped "I don't know what to do. I don't know how we can make this work without Nasedo. We'll think of something, I promise"

*

The reality was what was killing him, all his life since he'd come out of the pods he'd stuck with his little family and now that they were gone he was alone. No one was going to come and save him from this clean nightmare, he was alone.

"I want to go home" he whispered as tears fell, he'd never known the concept of home and family and now he wished he had because then he would have something to live for. The door whirred open and in came Pierce.

"Good morning" he said and carefully laid the file he was carrying on the bed that had been left in the room. Last night Zan had gone through shock therapy so he would give up his secrets but he didn't have anything to tell, when they were done they undid his straps and left him there. When he had gathered up enough energy he'd rolled off the bed and hobbled over into the corner "Not even a hello?"

"Go fuck yourself" he retorted quietly without looking up

"That isn't very nice. Not after all the plans I have to bring others in to keep you company" he sounded caring but it was terrifying to Zan

"Others? Who?" he asked, he prayed silently that Ava hadn't been caught and brought in. He imagined that she would never survive a place like this.

"Don't act like you don't know!" he shouted suddenly making the frightened boy flinch "Max Evans, your twin! We're working on bringing him in, apparently there are rumours that evil fucking alien has impregnated an innocent human girl. We'll have to bring her in as well; you can be a little family all here in the White Room were you belong"

"Leave them alone. They're starting a family, you have me! Leave them alone"

"I can't, not when I know that you can breed with humans" he said coldly "In a few hours you won't be alone anymore" he kept quiet at the thought of having someone to share this nightmare with. He didn't know that behind the screen Kathleen Topolski was watching him and formulating a plan.

She checked the medical records and he was almost ready for another dose of the serum to suppress his powers, if she could get in and do that instead of the technician then she could pretend to give it to him. She also knew that Pierce couldn't bring in Max or Liz; it would be truly terrible if that happened.

She wandered out of the observation room and down to the staff toilets; she sent Maria a message then destroyed her memory card by flushing it. She went back to the obs room to watch Zan, he was just a little kid, only sixteen years old and he looked so small.

"Disgusting isn't it" said Pierce as he came back into the room and spotted her watching Zan "They look so much like us"

"Probably to inspire pity when we caught them" she responded, she was trying to keep up her facade of being on their side. She was beginning to see that Pierce was a monster and he wasn't trying to protect humanity, he was just enjoying torturing someone he was actually allowed to torture, instead of the staff.

"Well they failed in that aspect. Oh, I can't wait for the others to be brought in! Especially the pregnant female! A real live alien baby that we can work with, we'll find so much out about their race as they grow and develop! Maybe we could find more weaknesses!"

Monster, Kathleen thought, as she stood there. When she helped Zan escape she would make sure he ended up with a gun to shoot that evil bastard cold dead so he couldn't hurt anyone else.

TBC...


	21. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

He circled her as she stood there wearing nothing but the skin she was born in, she was heavily pregnant and he was smirking as he casually reached out to stroke parts of her body. Every touch was like torture, fire burning across her skin but she refused to act, refused to show that he was hurting her

"I killed them all, it was so easy... even with the pathetic resistance you built" he told her teasingly "But you think you're still strong because you have your beloved King Max" he scowled when she said nothing, did nothing then he smirked and nodded at the guards standing by his door. The guard went out then returned dragging something; he unceremoniously dumped it on the floor before returning to his post. Liz looked down at the person on the floor and knew who it was, she shouldn't have bothered even to look because the sight was evil; Max lay twisted, broken and lifeless on the floor. She opened her mouth in a silent scream as Kivar laughed coldly that he'd finally destroyed her "All this time you thought you were strong but you've been so easy to break. No matter what you do I'll always get you and destroy you from the inside out; so thank you Liz Evans, thank you for giving me the chance to destroy your world all over again!"

"No! I'll stop you!" she screamed angrily as she turned to face him, her hate for him was a fire burning inside her urging her on to protect all she held dear

"You'll fail. I'll kill your friends, I'll kill your family and when you've truly suffered then I will kill you. But for now, I think I'll start with Charlie" he reached his large hand toward her stomach and she rushed back as she wrapped her arms around her stomach

"I won't let you kill my baby!" she gasped as she hit the wall. As soon as she collided with the room the dream shifted and she was back on Earth when it was the end of everything, Kivar was gone and the wind was howling sending dust everywhere. She reached out for Max but she couldn't see him, she was alone in the dust and the dirt "Max!"

Suddenly sixteen year old Max walked through the dust storm like it wasn't there and crouched down in front of her

"Who are you?"

"Max! It's me! It's Liz! Help me!"

"You're just some old woman, why should I help you? You don't look anything like my Liz, you've got grey hair and you're broken. I can see it when I look at you, you're damaged beyond repair. My Liz would never let herself become like you... you're a monster and a murderer. I've seen what you've done, all those people you killed in the war! You claimed to be saving the planet but you killed humans that fought for Kivar, you killed your own kind"

"No! No humans helped Kivar in the war! You're making that up! You don't know!"

"I'm here aren't I? I've seen it all. Kivar was right to take you away, you're an animal who deserves to be tortured and killed"

"No! It's not true!" she gasped "You're not Max! Max would never say things like that no matter what age he was! He's always loved me"

"Hm, I guess you got me" he said then morphed into Kivar "And you were right about Max as well. He did love you but now... I think he's not capable of even that anymore" he pointed to the left and the swirling dust cleared enough to show her Max's broken and burnt body

"Naaaaooohhhhhh!" she screamed out in anger. Kivar disappeared and the earth began to break up, it was like an earthquake. She did her best to crawl towards him through the dust devil storm and by the time she reached him it was too late to get to a ship or the granolith to change things. The world exploded and she jerked up with a loud scream, it was dark in the room and she felt Max wake up next to her

"Liz! Liz! Look at me! It was just a dream!" he cried trying to shake her from the last threads of her nightmare

"Max" she sobbed then she realised what the dream meant "He knows. I don't know how but Kivar knows. It was him, in my dream... I could sense him like when we were on Antar. He got inside my head, he knows about Charlie! He's going to try and take her from us"

"Charlie?"

"Claudia... our baby girl. He knew what my nickname for her would be" she whispered, he held her close and she rested her head against his shoulder "Max, when he saw into me I saw into him. I know what he's going to do, he's coming here and he's coming to kill you and destroy the Earth"

"Then we have to stop him. We have to warn people so they can be ready to fight back"

"But no one would listen or believe us and if they did then we'd probably end up being put in the white room" she pointed out and he nodded in agreement

"I know, love, but we made a promise a long time ago..." he began

"We'd give our lives for them to live and be free. Claudia is going to be one of those people..." she finished for him and he nodded once more "I'd do anything so she could have a chance at life. We need to go to Pierce, he won't believe we're trying to stop Earth's destruction, he'll think we're part of it but that doesn't matter. He'll warn the president and then they'll be ready"

"But he'll kill us both, Liz, and then he'll come after Claudia. We can't risk that; we need to stay alive to fight against Kivar. No one else knows him and what he's capable of like we do..."

"We have to do something"

"We go to the others and we make a plan of action. But for now, try and get some sleep. I'll watch over both of you" he whispered as he laid her back down and stroked her hair back "I promise" she closed her eyes as she snuggled closer to him and drifted back off to sleep.

***

She walked into the medical science room were all the DNA testing took place from the samples taken from the subject Pierce had taken from the hospital; his name was Zan, that's what he claimed he was called. No one had bothered to acknowledge it apart from her

"Who is administering the serum this evening?" she asked as she put her plan into motion, a young scientist looked up from behind his glasses. He looked younger than Zan did and appeared so out of place

"I am Agent Topolski. Why? Is there a problem?"

"I've noticed some irregularities in the administering of the serum on the subject. In fact, Pierce has noticed it as well and has asked me to give the subject the serum from now on. Where is the serum?"

"I-Uhh... it's over there on the shelf. I'll go get the hypodermic needle for you" he scurried off to get the equipment.

Ten minutes later she was walking into the White Room carrying a tray with the needle on it, he looked up surprised to see her instead of the regular technician. She nodded at the glorified body guards dressed in hazard suits and they rushed forward grabbing him up off the floor and strapping him to the bed.

"Get out" she ordered once they'd done their job and they quietly shuffled out leaving her alone with Zan. He looked up at her and her heart broke, she smiled at him warmly then winked. She moved around the table so her back was facing the cameras and observation window, she took the scrunched up piece of paper from her pocket and put it in his hand then returned to the other side to give him the injection. Instead of injecting it into his arm she put her hand near his inner elbow and injected herself with it before putting the needle down on the tray. Topolski left the room leaving Zan confused and unsure about what just happened.

The glorified agents came back in and released him from the bed before leaving him alone again. He rolled off it and curled back in the corner to read the note she'd left him

_Zan, within half an hour your powers should be back to normal. From where you sit in the corner the door should be directly behind you. I'll be watching and direct the agents to another part of the facility. Blow the door and follow it until you come to a wide corridor. Both Pierce and I will be there. I will draw my gun on Pierce and get him to give up his. I want you to take his gun then give it to me. There will be people waiting for you on the other side of the fence, you can trust them. I'll find you when it's safe, Kathleen Topolski x _

He scrunched the note back up and held it tight in his hand. All he had to do now was play the waiting game; he didn't know if this was a trick but he'd be willing to take the chance to get out of here.

*

"Maria... I thought we were going on a date. That's what you told your mom... so why are Kyle and Laurie here?"

"Oh, I love you too, Guerin" he sneered from the back seat

"Michael... we've got a lot to tell you. You're going to be pretty angry at me and Kyle for it but if you're going to blame someone blame me okay, but only after we've got him out"

"What? Got who out? Zan! We're going to rescue Zan?!" he cried "Do Max and Liz know about this? What about Tess and Ava?"

"No one but the people in this car know"

"Then it's suicide! Turn the car around and go back! We'll need more help than this!" he pointed out

"You're right. We do" she agreed with him before turning back to watch the road as she drove "Topolski is in on this as well"

"_What_!" he roared "Maria? Are you insane? You went to Topolski with this?"

"She's helping us. An hour ago she sent me a message telling me about her plan; we have half an hour to get to Eagle Rock Military Base before Zan comes out. If this plan works then a lot of our problems will be answered; she'll become the head of the Special Unit and she'll work on shutting it down from the inside"

"How do you know we can trust her?" he asked

"Because she let me go" said Kyle "She saw me use my powers and Maria told me to show her certain parts of the future so I did and she let us go. If she wasn't on our side she wouldn't have" Michael scowled and crossed his arms

"Fine but when this is all over you and I are going to have a serious long talk about you putting yourself in serious unnecessary dangers" he told her, she smirked and reached over to hold his hand

"I'll look forward to it, SpaceBoy" replied Maria as the car sped a little faster.

*

Blasting the door was easy, so was running along the hall, Topolski had done what she said she would by sending the guards the other way. He followed her instructions to the large corridor where he found Pierce and Topolski waiting. Pierce was the guy in charge, the guy behind all the ice baths and shock treatment! He raised his arm and Pierce pulled his gun

"Freeze!" he yelled "I don't want to shoot you but I will if I have to. I can't let a monster like you out into the world!" he fell silent when he felt cold steel pressed against his right temple. Kathleen pressed her gun into the side of his head and Zan lowered his arm and slowly walked towards them

"Drop your gun" she ordered and he did. Zan bent down and picked it up just as Kathleen pulled out a handkerchief to hold it, she didn't want to get her prints on it "Now over to the console. Open the door"

"No" he answered her

"Dead or alive, either way you're going to open the door. Choose which way you want it"

"You won't kill-" he said so assured she wouldn't when she pulled the trigger. He went down tumbling to the ground and she tossed the gun on the floor, it slid away to the middle of the corridor. She grabbed his arm still using the handkerchief and pressed it onto the pad, the door began to open and she dropped Pierce's body onto the floor

"They're waiting for you. I need you to do one last thing before you go"

"What is it?"

"Use your powers to knock me unconscious. When I wake up I'll come and find you, I promise" he bit his lip then pulled her into his arms hugging her. She closed her eyes, smiling at the warm parental feelings the hug created within her. Zan lifted his arm and put it to her head knocking her out, he let her slide down to the floor before he took off as fast as he could with his legs still damaged from the crash.

He found a car waiting for him, in it was Rath's duplicate and three humans he'd never seen before.

"Hurry up and get in!" yelled the cute blonde girl in the front. He did as he was told and quickly slid into the back behind Rath's duplicate as she slammed her foot on the gas, spun the car around then got back onto the road into Roswell. After five miles she slowed down to a normal speed to avoid detection

"Who are you all?" he asked

"Hopefully, we're family" said the other blonde girl sat on the other side of the car behind the mouthy blonde

"I was kinda more hoping for your names, since you rescued me and all" he pointed out

"I'm Michael, that's my girlfriend Maria" said Michael

"Give him the backpack by your feet. It's got clothes in" Maria ordered briefly pointing down at her boyfriend's feet. Michael passed it back and Laurie couldn't help but smirk as his muscles flexed as he put on a shirt

"I'm Laurie DuPree" she held out her hand, Kyle grabbed it and she scowled playfully at him

"Spoilsport"

"I'm her boyfriend Kyle, I'm Maria's brother... well near enough. We're taking you to Roswell where you'll be safe"

"What about that Topolski woman? You must be working with her, why? I understand why Michael would know, maybe Maria too but how come you know about the Special Unit?"

"Coz everyone in this car apart from Maria is part alien" explained Kyle, he held up his hand and it glowed softly "We're part of the Royal Family. Man, I love saying that"

"Royal Family? I don't understand, there should be the Royal Four. Zan, Rath, Vilandra and Ava"

"Our Zan, Max Evans, he changed it" Laurie replied "It's now Max and Liz, Michael and Maria, Alex and Isabel, they'd be the main members of the family"

"What about your Ava? Is she called Liz now?" he asked, the others glanced around nervously "What?"

"Our Ava is called Tess and she was replaced by Liz as Queen. That's why Tess no longer has her mindwarping powers and Ava was disconnected from your Royal Four"

"What happened to them? Did Tess die? We lost Ava... I thought that she might be here... she's dead isn't she?"

"No, they're both alive. I live with them now" Laurie told him "Tess had a vision of you in the White Room so Maria came up with a plan to get you out. She's the one who went to Topolski and get her on our side"

"Max and Liz are going to be furious. I am so not going to be the one explaining everything" Michael snapped

"They pull some serious rank?" Zan asked as he curled back against the seat

"No, Liz is pregnant. She's highly emotional and volatile at the moment" he replied then went pale as Maria turned to glare at him "But she's a real peach, we absolutely love her!"

"Whipped" scoffed Kyle from the back, Laurie laid her hand on his leg and leaned close to his ear

"If you ever want to have kids then I'd suggest you be careful. Liz is amazing and you shouldn't rip her in front of her best friend and general" she whispered

"Okay" he nodded quietly. Zan closed his eyes and wondered who this Liz person was and how all the people in the car seemed in awe of her.

*

"Agent Topolski? Are you okay?" asked agent Bellows as she came round, she looked around the room and saw she was still in the corridor

"I'm taking charge of the Special Unit as acting director until our superiors appoint a new one. The subject, he's probably heading for the border, if he's been out in the world all this time he probably knows that we'll have trouble following him across. I want you to set up a team and go after him before he gets that chance. He's most likely on foot so he can't have gotten far. Have a technician from the morgue remove Pierce's body" she said as she swept her messy hair back and began spewing out orders. Bellows moved away to do as she asked and she headed to the security room, thankfully it was empty as usual, all the feeds were recording. She rewound the tape with her helping Zan escape and put it into another machine to record over. Once that was done she went up to Pierce's office to make herself comfortable.

When the teams failed to find the missing 'subject' and all this blew over she could work on shutting down the unit, or better yet start using it to help the Royal Family in Roswell.

TBC...


	22. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

"Zan!" gasped Ava as she got up and rushed to him and pulled him into her arms, he smiled as he wrapped his arms around her. Adam just scowled as he sat there all but forgotten

"Where did you find him?" he asked roughly

"Rescued him from the White Room, it's a long story but we have to get going. You know doing the regular school thing" said Kyle. He hugged Laurie then followed Michael and Maria back down to the Jetta. Tess nervously looked at Zan wrapped up in Ava's arms and felt the green eyed monster creeping up on her

"I better get going too, if you need to use my room then that's fine" she mumbled then hurried off.

"I could lay my rock down" he said sleepily

"Let's get you to Tess's room and later on we'll get the others round to discuss what we're going to do" said Adam. He wanted to dump him in Tess's room before Ava suggested that he stay in her room.

Once they got him settled in Tess's bed and he passed out into sleep Laurie announced that she was going to go spend some time with Liz while Max was at school.

"I might join you" said Ava

"Um, Ava... could I talk to you?" asked Adam, Laurie nodded at them knowingly and patted her house mates shoulder

"Catch me up later" she told her before leaving.

"What is it?" she asked

"I was... I just... Zan... do you..."

"What?" she repeated softly "Tell me, whatever it is, it's okay"

"Do you still love Zan or am I falling for a girl I can never have?" he asked quickly and she blushed

"You're falling for me? Like falling in love with me?" he shifted nervously from one foot to the other then he looked up at her and nodded.

"I'm sorry for shouting at you the other day... I was scared. You're... beautiful and I want to be with you but there's Tess... I'm scared that she will become the monster she was in the future and if that happens the world will get destroyed and I'll lose you. I don't want to lose you, Ava"

"You won't, but you have to accept and trust Tess. She's my sister and if we support, protect and give her the family she needs then we'll be okay"

"Okay, Ava, okay" he nodded promising her to do what she asked. She smiled before leaning forward to wrap her arms around his shoulders and kiss him.

*

Max woke up and smiled as he saw Liz lying next to him, he couldn't imagine his life without her. The sun was coming in through the window and he could hear the birds singing in the trees, it was like he was in heaven as the rays lit her hair making it shine

"Angel" he whispered as he stroked her hair back, she murmured in her sleep and snuggled closer to him "I'll never get tired of waking up next to you" he pulled the blanket up over her shoulder making sure she was warm before getting up out of bed to make breakfast before school.

School was one of the things he disliked about being sixteen again but at least this time he knew all the answers and could get things done quicker. He got the ingredients to cook her eggs and put bread in the toaster before pouring her a cold glass of orange juice.

He was stood at the cooker when he felt arms come around him and she laid her head against his naked back

"Morning baby" she greeted him "Were you being the perfect husband and making me breakfast in bed?"

"Yeah I was and you should have stayed there where it's nice and warm. The cold floor of the kitchen can't be good for you or the baby"

"We're fine" she said as she stepped away from him prepared for another 'good-for-the-baby' speech when she gasped and put her hand to her stomach

"Liz? Oh my god what's wrong?" he cried rushing over to her, eggs forgotten in an instant "Is it the baby? Are you having her? It's too soon!"

"No, Max... come here" she said reaching for him, when he came close she grabbed his hand and put it over her tummy. He fell silent when he felt the fluttering beneath her bump

"Oh... oh my God... is that...?"

"Yeah" she nodded with a huge grin as tears formed in both their eyes "She's kicking! That was her first kick! Our baby's kicking!" he laughed before kneeling down and lifting up his shirt that she was wearing

"You're so clever little baby" he cooed to her belly button "My little girl can kick! You're so clever! Daddy is so proud of you!"

Suddenly the door opened and Laurie walked in, she saw Liz standing in the kitchen and went over to her but then yelped and turned around quickly when she saw that Max was knelt down holding up the shirt she was wearing

"God! I am so sorry!" she thought they were doing stuff in the kitchen

"No! Laurie, we're not doing anything! Claudia is kicking! She's started kicking! Come and feel!" she called to her friend. Laurie came back as Max stood back up and got back to the eggs, she came into the room and they giggled over the fluttering kicks

"Max... leave me to finish breakfast. You're going to be late for school" she pointed out as she put her arms around him again

"But I want to make you breakfast... and I want to spend as much time with you as I can" Laurie smiled at how perfect they were together, she wondered if one day people would look at her and Kyle and think the same?

"I don't want Principal Forrester calling wanting to know why you're so late... besides I want to have a girlie day. Laurie and I are going to meet up with my mom and your mom and go shopping for baby clothes..." she leaned closer "And I want to look at wedding dresses and... underwear for our honeymoon"

"I'll see you later" he said as he served the eggs out onto the plate and quickly buttered the toast "You look great in everything... but I uhh think you look extra hot in red" he whispered back before kissing her goodbye, he grabbed his back pack and left quickly.

Max had a big grin as he jogged down to his jeep, he was imagining what she would wear on their wedding night; he blushed as he felt his jeans tighten as his mind slowly peeled off her red lingerie and he would make love to her as his wife for the first time. He was in fantasy land until he spotted someone trying to stick something under one of his wipers

"Hey!" he called and the person jumped turning in fright and dropping the envelope he had hold of

"I uhh I..." he stuttered before bending down to pick up the letter and handed it to him "I know it won't make sense but when you're ready to ask questions I'm staying at this address until I return home" he handed a card from one of the local hotels before disappeared off.

He just shoved the letter and the card into his back pocket not giving it thought, if it was alien then he must have been on his side because he hadn't attacked him. Before he set off he sent a message to Laurie telling her that some strangers were around and be aware in case those strangers tried anything, he trusted her to protect Liz.

*

He forgot about the letter while he was busy remembering all the old lessons he had in school, he only remembered when he sat down to lunch and the hotel card poked him

"Damn" he growled as Tess, Michael and Maria came to join him at his table. Alex and Kyle were still in the line for food

"What's wrong?" asked Michael as he sat down, he didn't know if someone had told him about their rescue mission a few hours ago when it was still dark

"Some weird guy gave me this letter and a hotel card letting me know where he was staying this morning"

"Maybe he was coming onto you?" suggested Tommy as he came and sat down at the table, he had started spending more and more time with the group and enjoyed being around these people who were doing something so important and self-less instead of the usual thick headed guys who talked about nothing but hetero sex.

"Do you want the card? Maybe you could go visit him?" Max said jokingly, he wouldn't let on that Tommy was gay but it was the same joking banter they'd developed since becoming friends and shared secrets

"What's the letter say?" asked Tess pointing to it "That doesn't look like a guy's writing. It's too fancy"

Max shrugged, picked up the envelope, opened it and began to read the first few lines. He sat there quietly for a moment before he got up and gathered his things

"I'm cutting the last few classes. I'll see you all later" he said then left the cafeteria quickly, everyone watched him go and wondered what the letter said

"I wonder what it said" Tommy voiced his thoughts aloud. Michael shrugged before turning back to his lunch just as Alex and Kyle came over

"Where did Max go?"

"I don't know. Something to do with a letter, he'll let us know about it later on when we have that meeting about Zan"

"Zan?" asked Tommy, Alex leaned in to find out what was going on "Who's that?"

"Max's duplicate" said Tess "You know how Ava looks exactly like me. Well she's from another set of the former Royal Four. The Royal Family before Liz became queen" she explained and he paused

"You mean there is a guy out there who looks exactly like Max? In every way?"

"Basically yeah, he has a soul patch and a few piercings because he grew up in New York..."

"Where can I find him?" he demanded quickly

"He's staying at my place. Why?" she asked feeling a little jealous that Tommy was so interested; it didn't take a genius to figure out that he was as gay as Christmas. He blushed bright red and suddenly found his lunch extremely interesting

"Oh, no reason" he said quietly.

*

Max sat in his jeep in the parking lot and read the letter properly. As soon as he had read the first few lines he had a feeling it was genuine

"_I come here sometimes, just to see you both, I miss you and this place always reminds me of you. Sometimes, I imagine what you would be like but with all that my aunts and uncles have told me about you I have a pretty good idea, also, I know you from the greatest story ever told. Your story was how you saved Earth and all of humanity, as your daughter you have no idea how proud I am. Of course you don't know because for all the stories I cannot remember you, I live in a free world that has become so wondrous and fantastic but I live without my mommy and daddy. I never got the chance to know you because you died not long after I was born and I grew up as the Daughter of Earth. _

_So on this day I come here to the desert, not far from my home town of Roswell, and I lay flowers on your monument. Yes, you have a monumental statue; they built it here where you both died to remember you. It's a nice statue of you; it was designed from a picture of your wedding day. Daddy, your arm is around mommy's shoulders and she's smiling with her head on your shoulder; it's exactly like how I picture you would be. When the war came, and you gave your life, no one knew what you'd done at first because so many people were killed; so what difference was two teenagers from some little town that was first hit?_

_It was only afterwards, when it was all over, that all my aunts and uncles spread the world and told the story about what you did. Soon the entire world knew of your sacrifice and president Obama came to Roswell to confirm the story; once he found out it was true and that I was your daughter and I was an orphan he addressed the whole world. Officially I was adopted by every person on Earth at that time who could vote, I became the Daughter of the Earth and the representative for all new races of life that came here after the story of the Great King Maxwell and Great Queen Elizabeth spread beyond this world and into the far reaches of the universe. Yes, every single living being in this universe knows your name and they're still coming to lay flowers on your grave these twenty seven years after you died. _

_Yeah, I am twenty eight now and becoming such a handful. I'm about to have a baby with my husband Deech Harza, he's from the second planet in the Dorado Constellation. We got married three years ago and I wish you could have seen it. It was such a beautiful wedding and you would have been so happy to see me walking down the aisle towards him, being the DoE, my wedding was televised and transmitted to all planets trading technology with Earth. Basically anyone who had a TV saw me say my 'I do's'. I guess you want to know about the others, my aunts and uncles right? Well Maria and Michael got married and had Serina and Jacob, so did Alex and Isabel and had Benjamin and Bethany... Kyle and Laurie got married and had James, Amanda, Charles and Aida, Ava and Adam got married and had David and Matthew and finally Tess and Zan were married and had three children; Rose, Max and Liz. _

_Serina, David and Rose built me a space ship for my twenty first birthday; they designed it taking aero dynamics into mind and created a 'warp-vortex' as they all decided to call it. The principal is that it creates vortexes then travels through the fastest part of the vortex, it even has the power to go back and forward through time thanks to Serina incorporating her technological advances in quantum mechanics. I am tempted to go back in time just so I can meet you and spend some time with you both but by the time both of you had your present and future selves bound I was conceived and if I go back to the time to interrupt my conception I know I could change everything. According David who, like his father, can see the working of time that is one of the events that would change every other single outcome people made from your passing and after Serina explained that such events like that could spiral into chaos and effect the entire universe I asked for altering big events to be declared forbidden. So as much as I would love to come and meet you I cannot. Despite missing you raising me I have not been sad, I have had a long and happy life; I have family and a lot of friends and now I'm starting a family of my own. Once our son is born, Deech and I plan to take my ship and travel the universe, I am looking forward to see my father's former planet Antar and I really want to travel once more to Deech's home world and visit his parents and family. I should get going now... it's getting dark and I know the wonderful husband of mine gets awfully worried about me in 'my state'. I don't have any way for you to receive this letter, I don't even know why I always address each letter or journal entry to you but I think it's because if I do it's like you're here with me and I can see you and talk to you whenever I want. _

_I am proud of what you did and I love you more and more for the life and world you gave me, you gave the greatest gift any parents can do for their daughter. You brought peace to a world that was spiralling into destruction; you gave me a world in which I can live safely with my husband and my unborn son and any other children we have in the future. I love you and thank you _

_Claudia Gabrielle Evans x"_

He put the letter down and began to panic, his baby daughter would be an orphan and it would happen soon. Liz was due to give birth in about a week and a half and not long after that both of them would be dead? He shook his head and scowled, he needed answers!

Max put the letter back in the envelope and dropped it onto the passenger seat before heading to the hotel that strange guy was staying at; was it a threat? Was it the future? He didn't want to die and he didn't want Liz to die!

When he got there, the young man who had given him the letter was stood outside waiting for him

"I thought you would have been sooner" he commented as Max jumped from the jeep and rushed him

"What the hell is going on? Are you one of our enemies? Have you come to kill me and my wife?"

"No, I haven't. Look at me, look at me eyes" he whispered terrified of the man before him holding him up off the ground. Max stared into the man's eyes then slowly let him go

"You have..." he began "You're mother's eyes?"

"No. She was my ancestor" he replied as he brushed down his clothing

"Ancestor... So you came back using the Granolith?" he stated as he leaned against the wall before sinking down to the ground "That's how you knew"

"I didn't use the Granolith, in the time I came from the Granolith was sent away. The legend goes that the DoE and her family built the Granolith then used it to travel the universe; they disappeared after leaving the Dorado constellation. The rumour goes that they used Serina's technology and travelled back in time to Antar and left the Granolith there. It would make sense because all the people of Antar said that it just appeared one day and they began worshiping it from then on. No one knows what truly happened to DoE and Deech and their son"

"Are you allowed to tell me this? Shouldn't you be worried about changing the future? Your present?"

"No I'm not. I'm one of the Time Line; every generation of my family is born with the gift of precognition and the ability to control time. We can see what can and cannot be and affect time like it should go; my family line was elevated to guard time when our powers were made public"

"So me and Liz die soon?" he whispered scared "It's okay for you to tell us that we'll die?"

"It doesn't change the outcome. If it changed time then I would cease to exist and not be able to return home to my time"

"Liz can't know. I don't want you to tell her, promise me that you won't tell her"

"I promise" he said

"I don't even know your name"

"It's David Matthew Jones" he replied as he sat down next to Max and pulled his knees up

"How long are you here for? What's the future like? You know a lot about me and the others don't you?"

"Everyone knows. It's the greatest story ever told, it's what parents tell their children. What you did, it didn't just save Earth, but the entire universe. When all the races at war throughout the galaxy heard what you had done to ensure peace they laid down their weapons; civilizations made alliances with other civilizations. Technology was shared and all races united, what you two did created two thousand years of peace and unity in every solar system across all of creation and that peace still exists today. There is no war, no famine... Earth learnt how to go out into the stars and spread the story"

"We really did all that? Liz and I created that? By dying?" he whispered and David nodded "So we have to die so everyone has a golden age? My Claudia, my little baby girl, she never knows us. The letter she wrote says about how much she misses us and wished she knew us"

"But she also says she's happy. She meets her husband and they have a son together, if you don't then that would never happen to her"

"You said she and her new family disappeared. What happened to her? You can see all of time right? Can't you go back to see why she disappeared?"

"Several generations of my family have tried to but for some reason whenever we try we can't. It's like it isn't allowed, that is one mystery we're not allowed to know"

"What if something bad happened to her? She's my daughter, I'm her father, and I should be there to protect her from harm" he said, suddenly David flickered in and out

"No! Stop it! Your fate is a fixed event! You shouldn't change it!" he cried desperately. Max panicked and David stopped fading "The choice you make is what we called a fixed event; if you change it then you will change every other choice that people make after you've passed away"

"I don't see what the problem is there" he replied and David flickered again

"No! You don't understand! It would be like Hitler surviving the war because he paused to get coffee or something! The consequences could be universally dire and catastrophic!" he tried to point out. Max shook his head

"I don't want to die and I don't want Liz to die either. We're going to be alive for our daughter!" he said. David reached for the wrist watch on his left wrist and disappeared from Max's present timeline back to his own "What am I going to do?"

He began to think about what he could do and how he could make it work; he was trying to think of the best way for everyone. He knew that he didn't want Claudia to grow up as an orphan but he knew that if he gave his life then Liz wouldn't be able to live without him and would probably follow him into the next life. Finally he decided that he would need to ask her for help as well, there was no way he could make this decision for himself. Max rose to his feet and went back to the jeep to get the letter the letter his daughter had written to him when it began to fade before his eyes before it returned from transparency. Something had changed but it still led to his daughter growing up alone.

*

Zan tossed and turned in the bed, he was dreaming of being in the white room with Pierce torturing him and how he felt so totally alone; someone had sensed he was in there though. Someone knew he had been captured and he was in the white room, that someone who ever it was had been the reason he had been rescued. The only person it could have been was Ava; so he worked her into his dreaming but she looked different and not like the girl he had known his entire life.

"Help me, please!" he begged reaching out for her "I'm... I'm scared. I want to go home. Help me"

"I have. You are home... you'll always be at home with me. You're the one I've been waiting for, I was always told that I would love the king and when I met Max I felt nothing. He looked at me with so much hate in his eyes... I want to go home too. Help me" she whispered as she waved her hand and Pierce disappeared.

He opened his eyes and looked around sleepily wondering who she was and why he was dreaming about her; he could tell from the dream that it wasn't Ava even though she looked like her. Was this girl Ava's duplicate? It was clear that she was in love with him but he didn't see how he could return her feelings. The aloneness came over him again and it was unbearable, he sat up quickly pushing himself up with his hand and got a flash off the pillow

_Tess was lying on the bed crying and feeling so alone and in pain; she could feel his feelings and emotions and was trying to reach out to lessen the pain for him. But it hurt so much, if only she could save him! _

"She wanted to save me. She was the one!" he whispered, he stroked the pillow and felt all her emotions filling him. She was alone in the world and she had reached out to the one person who would understand her; she had been suffering the same fate as him but it had gone on for years instead of days. Everyone overlooked her and dismissed her because she was supposedly 'evil'; no one had given her a chance! Just like no one had given him a chance and he'd grown up to be who he was when he lived in New York.

*

Amy scowled at him as he got out of the Jetta; she wasn't sure about the young boy before her but Maria had clearly taken a shine to him. It would all end in tears, in Amy's opinion, and all she wanted to do was protect her baby girl from him.

"Hello Ms Deluca" he smiled warmly

"Hello Michael. How was school?" she was direct and Maria blushed

"Mom!" gasped Maria in disbelief

"It's okay. I've been pulling my grades up... I really like Maria and I'd do anything to be with her. Even if that means making more of an effort"

"So that means you're generally lazy" she pointed out making her daughter gasp again but Michael just smirked

"Mom!" she cried

"Before Maria and I decided to... give it a go I had nothing worth living for. I knew all the answers at school but I just made no effort because my foster father... he used to hit me, beat me up, and make me feel worthless. I no longer live with him; I'm working on getting myself emancipated. I have a job and I'm doing better in school and that's all because of my girlfriend. I respect her, I need her... I love her! And I would do anything to make her happy, even spend time with you. So... if that's okay with you, then is there anything I can do to help around the house?" Amy stood there listening to his heartfelt speech for a moment before putting her arm around him and directing him to the kitchen

"Hurt her and I will cut your balls off and fed them to the garbage disposal" she whispered into his ear and he just nodded his head out of fear.

"Is it okay if Michael stays for dinner? Then I'll drive him home"

"Okay but tonight is a school night, I want you back by half eleven" she replied, it was a big thing that she was letting Maria drive him home. God only knew what they could do parked somewhere!

"But mom, tomorrow is Saturday!" she protested but it fell upon deaf ears.

Michael helped set the table while Maria and Amy cooked Italian food that they were so skilled at despite that they were both of Spanish descent instead of Italian then they all sat down to eat

"I wonder what that letter was that Max received today" Michael mused aloud

"Who knows with us? It could have been anything" Maria replied, Amy remained quiet while she ate; she had learnt a long time ago that sometimes the best way to learn things was to just blend into the background and listen "Whatever it was, it had him rattled. Do you think it has anything to do with Liz or Claudia?"

"Claudia?" Michael repeated "You mean..." she just nodded glancing at her mom briefly

"Did he say when we're all getting together? We've got a lot to talk about... and a lot to explain"

"I know. I still don't think Zan was a good idea... anything could have happened" he put his hand over hers then Amy rose from the table to get a drink

"I didn't have any choice, he's part of this and I couldn't just leave him in there. You know how Max was after the White Room, you know from Liz's memories! Then Topolski called me and I took the opportunity to get him out" she hissed trying to keep her voice down low "Maybe we shouldn't talk about this now. Let's save this for later... then you can take turns with the others who agree that it was such a stupid idea..." Amy came back to the table and sat down, she wondered what they had been whispering about

"What are you kids talking about? Why so secretive all of a sudden?" Maria bit her lip as she glanced back and forth from her mom to Michael

"I want to tell her the truth. Liz and Max told their parents, they know and they were okay with it!"

"I don't think so... no offence but I don't want your mom to have more ammo to run me out with"

"Tell me what? What's going on? Maria!" she demanded suddenly fearing where this conversation

"You can't make this decision" he growled at her and her eyes widened

"Why can't I? You may be the general to the King but I'm the general to the Queen, I'm apart of this and as an advisor I think this is a wise decision. We'd have one more person with actual authority to go to"

"We'd have one more person to worry about!" he pointed out trying to talk her out of this. Amy just watched the argument and her fear grew and grew!

"When Kivar comes looking for the Royal Family he targeted our parents. I want her to know what could come! She becomes your mom too, she's our family..."

"Would someone tell me what's going on?" she finally demanded angry that they were talking about her like she wasn't there

"Mom, Michael isn't..."

"I'm not human" he interrupted her "I come from a planet called Antar. I'm a hybridised clone of the planets general, second in command to the King"

"Liz's boyfriend, our friend, Max is the hybridised clone of the King and he made Liz the Queen. Michael... show her" she softly ordered him to show her mom everything

"If I were you, I'd take a deep breath and brace yourself before I show you" he said as he held out his hand. Amy looked back and forth expecting them to be joking but from their serious expressions it was clear that they weren't. She held his extended hand then gasped as images flashed across her mind, she saw more than she bargained for though, she saw Michael's life from when he hatched right up to when he came home with Maria early on that evening. She saw all the flashes that Liz had shown him in the desert and she saw the part her daughter was to play

"God oh God, my baby... my babies" she pulled them both into her arms and held them tight "You fought, you were so strong! You all fought so hard, and you were just kids. God... Liz! What she and Max went through!"

"They're going to be furious that we told you"

"Deal with it later" Maria answered him, she felt even closer to her mother and she was grateful that Michael would always be welcome.

TBC...


	23. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty One**

It was fairly quiet here, there weren't a lot of people around and he found them easily. Nancy, Diane and Liz were cooing over baby clothes they'd bought as they sat in the food court while Laurie sat at the edge of the group, smiling warmly, but alert and aware of any possible dangers. He couldn't help but smile when she spotted him instantly, she nodded at him, letting him know that she was taking care of his Queen and unborn Princess.

Watching her he felt his heart melt, she slipped into slow motion as she held up a little soft pink t-shirt for Claudia. Liz practically glowed as she enjoyed her pregnancy; she had always been beautiful to him but as she sat there, unaware that he was watching her, she was beyond perfect and he loved her with all his heart and soul. But he knew what had to be done, it was complex and heartbreaking, and once he told her he knew she would agree.

"The world we create" he whispered before pushing away from the balcony to go meet them. Below in the food court Liz's smile disappeared as she felt someone watching her, she looked up sensing who it was but she didn't see him. Something deeply upsetting and frightening had happened, she could feel the mixed feelings coming from him and it felt like when she thought Max was dead.

"Liz? Are you okay? What's wrong, honey?" asked Diane placing her hand on her forearm and getting her attention. All the women looked up and Laurie rose to her feet ready to fight

"It's okay. It's Max" said Liz but she remained standing until he came wandering over. She watched as he kissed his girlfriend then sat down next to her; they stared at each in silence for a moment before Liz picked up some of the things she'd bought and began showing him. Laurie knew that it was forced, whatever was going on, it was serious.

***

The next morning several people in Roswell woke up ready to face the day, they would get ready to all meet up to talk; some things would be told and other things wouldn't. These several people were a family and were so unprepared to face the things that were coming. Each person was aware of the impending danger and sadness, aware of the fight and sacrifices that war would bring. They could all feel it in their bones and it made that morning all the more painful.

Tess woke up in her large bed and saw Zan lying still asleep next to her. It had been rough coming home after school and seeing him lounging there in her bed half awake, half asleep. His arms were marred by needle track marks and he looked so weary and broken. He'd looked up at her and held out his hand for her. She kicked off her shoes before climbing under the warm blankets to hold him while he cried. She had cried too, they both cried so hard for the events that isolated and broke them down.

Amy had ordered Michael to sleep on the fold out couch instead of going home to his cold apartment on his own. She had told him that he was with family and that was how it should be. They'd talked and talked about the future and his role in giving her grandchildren and his role in trying to protect them. All the memories he'd given her were fresh in her mind and it felt like she'd lived it all, like everything had already happened. Those memories kept her up all night as she finally settled them into her subconscious; she saw Michael's life and the life that Liz had shown him. She'd spent most of the night staring out the window and the other half checking on Maria, her baby girl was murdered. Amy was alive when Maria was killed, yes she was a part of the resistance but she was never targeted like the other parents were. In that line Maria had never told her that Michael or her children were part alien; she'd never known until the war came. Amy always thought that she and her daughter would never keep secrets and yet she had kept the biggest secret of her life from her.

Laurie had got home after their shopping trip and started making dinner for everyone, but her mind was completely on that look that Max and Liz shared in the food court. Something silent and terrible had passed between them and it was killing her not knowing what it was. She wanted to ask Tess if something had happened to Max early that day at school but as soon as she'd got in she'd gone straight to her room. She finally found someone to ask when Kyle came round the next morning to pick her up and take her to the CrashDown. Ava was going to ride with Tess and Zan.

"Kyle" she began as she took hold of his hand "Did something happen at school yesterday that upset Max?"

"I don't think so... oh wait. Yeah, he said some weird guy gave him a letter. He wouldn't tell us about it but he looked pretty rattled by it"

"Do you know what it said? Did he tell you?"

"No. Why? Do you think it could be important" he looked over at her briefly before returning his concentration on the road

"I have a feeling that letter, whatever it said, is key to this entire thing" she replied off-handedly and he scowled, what could have it been that was so important?

They, like Amy, had been up the half the night, he'd told her his plan... the stupid idea that he'd thought up to deal with the contents of the letter

"Will it really work?" asked Liz as she wrapped her blanket covered arms around her stomach "Can we do _that_?"

"If it works then it'll be perfect. As long as this letter remains then that future will happen"

"We can... we can check. If we commit to this plan then we can check to see if it's real"

"How?" Max asked a little confused. It was a very complex and lengthy plan

"We get someone to find them. Where should we plan to put them? If we've done it right then wherever we've chosen they should be there, right?"

"You're right. How about with River Dog in the cave in Frasier Woods? In this timeline we haven't discovered that cave have we? We can keep them there" he agreed with a nod "Should we go tonight? Before the meeting tomorrow? If we go and they're there then that means when the war comes we defeat Kivar"

"I'm scared Max" she whispered, her arms tightening around her stomach "I don't want to die"

"Neither do I" he answered as he pulled her closer "But all this is for her. The world we create"

*

River Dog lifted the torch higher as he went deeper into the cave; he used the torches to light more so he could dispel the darkness. He sat down on a rock facing his charges and smiled warmly at them

"They're coming tonight. This is the night they said they would come" he took out his pipe, filled it and lit it. They were still sleeping soundly in their pods, dreaming only of the memories that had been given years ago when River Dog was reaching his thirties and he'd accepted the task of watching over them.

"Yeah, that's right. Your mother and father are coming to visit you" he said, the two in the pods before him had become so familiar to him that he considered them so important, like the children he'd never had. When they'd brought the two pods to him and asked him to do this they were just babies floating in the fluid, he never expected them to grow up to look like they did now. He got up to walk over and softly stroke the shell of the pods "Matthew and Lilith Copper" then he heard a car engine in the distance and he smiled sadly "They're here..."

He leisurely walked to the front of the cave to meet them, both of them were surprised to see him and he was surprised to see that they hadn't aged at all, in fact they both looked about the same but Liz had a heavily round pregnant bump and was leaning on Max

"River Dog... what are you doing here?" asked Max

"Waiting for you, you told me that you would come back on this day" he explained

"So it's true" she whispered "So you know why we're here... are they... can we see them?"

"Follow me" he replied and the two of them followed him into the cave and found the two pods against the far wall

"My God Max! Look at them!" she cried as she rushed over as fast as she could, she stood before them in complete disbelief "Do you know when they're going to hatch"

"You told me that it would be on the night when you..." he explained then looked away "You wrote everything down, who you went to, to help you" he picked up a book and gave it to Max. He flicked through it briefly then looked up when he spotted a name "Kevin? But I thought that Adam..."

"No. Not him, he's part of your family and he would tell the others... he doesn't have the loyalty needed for the secret. Kevin does... go to him and he'll be able to help you"

"Thank you for doing this for us... River Dog, you have no idea what this means to us" he whispered reaching over to put his hand on the older man's shoulder

"I'm just grateful to help you out. You told me why you did this and... well I understand, since I've been watching over Matthew and Lilith I've begun to see them as my children"

"Matthew and Lilith?" Liz asked as she turned away from the pods

"It's all in the book... it's difficult to understand but the book created itself. Your future selves had it because then came back and left it for you, it's a cycle" explained River Dog "It tells you everything, even when you're supposed to go back"

"Everything" she gasped as Max came over and wrapped his arm around her shoulder "It's really real. We really do this! God, Max, I'm so scared!"

"It'll be okay. It's going to be ok" he said as he pulled her into his arms and hugged her, she swallowed the tears that were forming and turned to face River Dog

"Will it be okay?"

"Yes. It will" he told her, "You don't have to worry. When it's time for them to come out I'll tell them all about you then take them to Kevin. It'll be a year before they hatch"

"We have a year?" she gasped suddenly full of hope and he nodded

"But the war starts two weeks after Claudia is born" he pointed at her stomach and she quickly wrapped her arms around her bump

"Two weeks?!" she cried fearfully "That means her first year on this earth is nothing but war. We can't let that be the world our daughter grows up in!"

"It won't be. They prove this" River Dog pointed at the two people in the pods "I've watched them grow since they were babies... they're like my children and I'm glad that I was given the chance to be their father. My life has been pretty empty because I never found someone to share it with..."

"Thank you" he replied quietly

"No. Thank you, the both of you" he answered then smiled "You better get going otherwise you'll be late getting back to Roswell. Don't worry I'll look after them until it's time"

"We'll come back"

"And I'll be here... we'll be here" he said and they left taking the book with them. He walked over to the two pods to look at the people inside, they were identical to the two people who just left the cave apart from one detail; they were his children, his Matthew and Lilith Copper.

*

She sat reading the book as Max drove the jeep back to Roswell and the meeting that everyone in that little town was dreading. As soon as she opened the leather bound cover she saw her writing staring back at her. She glanced at Max then began to read aloud

"_Don't tell them. That's the first and absolute rule of all of this! You and Max must never ever tell them. They must believe that Max and Liz Evans die setting off the Granolith, if the world knows that some form of you exist then the world you want to create for Claudia will never happen. She will never grow up in a world reaching peace, prosperity and perfection. _

_When you go back make sure that Claudia doesn't go back either, just in case, when you do something might go wrong and this is to protect her. Also make sure that you're not pregnant with her, don't go back until after you've had her. The date you should go back is a week before the war starts; it's important that you follow this right down to the last detail. We went back in time on a Friday; Kevin took us back before returning to your present time. You use the Granolith to travel to Antar, when you get there find Garmana and Manu... they will be able to create Matthew and Lilith" _

"It's all mapped out" he gasped "Everything, it is a little scary that our lives are mapped out like this"

"I know... but it's for Claudia" she replied "I don't want to read anymore, not until after the meeting. This is hard enough... I just don't want to know everything yet. We have time right?" he nodded then reached over to pat her hand. The sun was coming up behind them and they could see the stars fading above the city limits "It's for all of them as well... for our friends and family and the kids they have together. It's for the people we came back for"

"Yeah" he smiled then lifted up his arm and she slid closer snuggling into his side "Get some sleep, baby, we'll be there soon"

***

Jeff opened the blinds and unlocked the door to the people waiting on the other side; they all looked tired as they tumbled in and found themselves seats. Maria went into the back to get changed into her uniform and Michael got changed to man the grill, both of them were working this morning.

Diane and Philip sat with Isabel and Alex while Kyle, Laurie and Jim all sat together. Ava, Adam, Tess and Zan were sat in a booth and Amy was sat at the counter while Jeff and Nancy were stood behind it.

The doors opened and Topolski walked in, some of them stood up on alert when they saw her but Zan just held up his hands

"She's okay, she's on our side" he explained as she came and sat next to Amy and they waited for Max and Liz to arrive.

The last two pulled up into a parking before coming inside quickly, they gasped when they saw everyone sat around waiting for them. There were so many people now; their family had grown so big in such a short time

"Morning" said Liz as she settled down into a booth; she was still tired from being up half the night and sleeping in the jeep "So, who wants to go first. I take it you know about us Amy... you too Kathleen"

"I helped Zan escape. I'm acting director of the SU; it's most likely I'll be appointed director for taking charge. I can turn the heat off Roswell and focus on Copper Summit"

"How do you know about Copper Summit? Did Pierce tell you?" asked Jim, she shook her head

"No he didn't. Maria told me when she came to me when I was at the school" she explained. Liz turned to Maria ready to tell her off for her actions but she just didn't have the heart to, Maria was aware of the risks and smart enough to know the best course of action. By bringing Kathleen in they now had an ally that could turn the focus, helped Zan escape from the White Room and by the looks of things give reason for Tess to stay here and not become evil.

"Wait a minute, what happened to Pierce?" asked Max, he shared a glance with Zan and they both felt the same thing when it came to that man

"He's dead" she told them both "He'll never hurt anyone ever again. That part of the SU is well and truly over. What are you going to do Zan?"

"I don't know... I want to stay here in Roswell, since I lost Lonnie and Rath..." he closed his eyes tight. Diane got up and made her way over to him

"Stay with us. Now that Max lives with Liz we have the space and you are... you're Max's brother"

"What? You want me to stay with you?"

"We'd be honoured" Phillip said agreeing with Diane "You're just as much as our child as Max or Isabel is"

"I...I don't know what to say. Are you sure?"

"Of course we are, sweetie" she smiled then pulled him to his feet. He stumbled and winced in pain before sitting back down. Tess put her hand on his shoulder, ever since they'd gotten up this morning he'd been having a hard time walking "What's wrong?"

"My legs, I've tried healing them but it won't work. I think they're too damaged" he explained. Max went over and pulled up his trousers seeing the damage before trying to heal it; for some reason the skin healed but the muscle and bone damage didn't

"I can't heal you" he whispered "It's like this was meant to be"

"If it's really bad then I could get you a stick or something" said Kathleen "I've seen you hobbling round and you shouldn't be putting your weight on your legs like that"

"Thank you" he smiled briefly before looking back at Diane "So do I call you mom and dad or... I don't even know your names"

"I'm Diane and that's Phillip and you can call us whatever you feel comfortable with" she said as she patted his hair, it was still tatty and matted

"Can I..." he whispered looking up at her "Mom... I never had a mom before" unable to help herself she wrapped her arms around him until he closed his eyes and melted against her "Momma"

"It's okay" she said softly "It's going to be okay"

A few moments passed then Laurie cleared her throat getting everyone's attention, she looked pointedly at Max and Liz before rising to her feet

"There are some other matters that should be discussed"

"Like what?" asked Jim a little curious about what she was going to say, she stared hard at the King and Queen but they remained silent

"That's what I want to know. What was with that letter yesterday? What's going on? I know something's up with you two"

"We should tell them" he said as he stood up, Laurie sat back down and reached for Kyle's hand

"Max! No!" cried Liz fearfully but he shook his head

"We know when the war is coming" he said and she fell quiet, Laurie watched how relieved she looked and knew that wasn't the thing Liz had been talking about

"What? You know! What do you mean you know?" Michael demanded "How?"

"That we can't tell you"

"What do you mean you can't tell us? If you have some source that knows when a war is coming then we have a right to know! This war you're talking about is between us and your people, isn't it? Why would they want to fight us?" Kathleen inquired trying to piece things together

"It's between us here on Earth and Kivar and all the people supporting him, we have our allies on Antar... I know Larek will help us" he replied as he sat down

"So when is it coming? Will we have time to warn people? Do you know where they strike first?" asked Maria who had given up waiting on them and sat down in Michael's lap so he could put his arms around her

"We have about three and a half weeks" she announced

"Three?! Three and a half weeks!" shrieked Kathleen "Then I have to do my duty and meet with the President, suggest that the world be told so that they can defend themselves!"

"No" Michael growled at her "You can't do that!"

"Why not? The people of this planet need to know the dangers that's coming! They need to know that there is an alien race coming here intent on wiping us out!"

"Michael's right, all that's going to do is spread unnecessary panic. If the president goes public and tells the world that there's something coming to kill us all then there will be mass panic, they'd attack anything even if it was there to help them. We need to get in touch with our allies on Antar, if need be then Liz and I will meet with the President as representatives"

"But you've never been there. How can you represent it?" asked Kathleen

"I've been there, we both have. We spent ten years on Antar... it's a long story" said Liz uncomfortably "I accepted long ago that I became part Antarian, I mean, I'm the Queen for God sake! That planet is as much my responsibility as it is Max's. You all are because you're not just my family. You're my court and we're doing this for you"

"Doing what?" asked Kyle, he was beginning to realise that there was more going on with them and Laurie was onto something about them. She fell silent and said nothing, neither of them did, Topolski shook her head and stepped forward when the room went quiet

"I think that you meeting with the president and representing... Antar, was it? It's a good idea but it will take me a while to get this sorted out and set up"

"The sooner that's sorted the better, hopefully we'll have Claudia by then" said Max and she nodded

"I'll get the ball rolling on that. Is there anything else we're going to talk about before I go?" she looked round and no one said anything "I'll be in touch when I've gotten somewhere" then she left.

"We'll have to keep Zan out of sight for a while so that White Room thing blows over" said Phillip "And I think we should all start getting prepared for the War"

"God" gasped Isabel "Talking about it makes it all the more real but to actually know it's coming!"

"What about the vision I had?" asked Tess quietly, everyone turned to stare at her and she cringed under their gaze

"What vision?" Liz asked, she could see how nervous the other girl was and could easily see that she was trying to make an effort

"I... I was there and we were having a picnic... they came and they killed..." she trailed off for a moment avoiding eye contact "And then I was running and I was carrying my daughter, Rose, they killed her. I thought I'd been hit but it wasn't me, it was her. She was only six years old!" she broke down crying and Zan put his arm around her; she immediately leaned into his arms

"Have you had that vision since?" her sister asked softly as the petite brunette rose to her feet and came over to stand in front of Tess near their booth. She reached across the table and put her hand over hers making the connection so she could see the vision. Since Liz had had the power to see the future she knew how to start it and Tess felt the vision coming to her again but this time it was different; it was just a regular day as they picnicked together

"What happened? How did you do that? You changed it?"

"Now that the war is coming sooner that future won't happen, because of the things we've done this past month or so we've altered that line"

"So what happens? Can you make her see how it ends up?" asked Alex "Do we win? Or do we all lose like before?"

"We can't tell you" said Max

"Bullshit!" Michael yelled angrily "You know what's going to happen? You know if we win or lose? Then you have to tell us! What the hell is with all this _'we can't tell you'_ crap! We have a right to know!" Maria put her hand on his chest getting him to calm down "_Who_ dies?" he was close to tears as he asked "Because I... I can't _lose_ them. I want to be around to actually have children and I want my family and friends to be there to help me raise them"

Max looked at the woman who was in every way his wife and soulmate and he could see her tears shining in her eyes, he could feel his own threatening to fall. She jumped to her feet wrapping her arms around her stomach as she rushed into the back room and up the stairs to her parent's apartment. He looked down swallowing the fear he felt before meeting Michael's scared gaze

"We can't tell you. Don't ask again, that's an order" he stated coldly before rising to his feet to follow after Liz.

TBC...


	24. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty Two**

The pair of them came back down rejoining the meeting which was moved into the back as the diner began to fill up

"So what are we going to do about the war?"

"Just try telling everyone what's coming, train up and fight back" answered Max "That's all we can do"

"I'm willing to teach anyone how to handle weapons" the dark haired girl offered "During the war... we used pretty much everything from guns to blades; anything that would kill a skin"

"Skin? You mean that's who we were fighting? No wonder you wanted to take out Copper Summit so much" snorted Isabel then Kyle looked up at her as a light switched on in his head

"What if we managed to do what we did with Topolski? Isn't there some way we can get someone in there?

"I think there is" Adam nodded "When I was bringing Tess here, Kevin told me about other people he had working for him. Not just the Griffins but a girl called Courtney Banks; he told me she was a skin"

"Courtney! Of course! She died protecting us from Nicholas!" Michael was ready to jump up but Maria glared at him, he risked her getting angry "She is a soldier after all, she'll be able to help us" she got up off his lap and went to sit next to Liz.

"Get in touch with Kevin, tell her to come here" Isabel ordered then the door swung open revealing Courtney "Wow!"

"I'm looking for Adam. Kevin Jones called me a while ago and told me to come in from the cold"

"Kivar is coming" said Liz addressing her directly "He's coming to Earth looking for us and the Granolith. War is coming to Earth and you're going to help us fight back" she came into the room letting the door close behind her

"What do you need me to do?" she asked sensing immediately that she was talking to the King and Queen

"Infiltrate Copper Summit, Kivar must be in contact with Nicholas there, go there and let us know his progress"

"I don't get it" Zan spoke up getting everyone's attention "If you know Kivar is coming, if you know these things then there must be a reason for it all. We're all powerful; can't we just go back in time and whack him?"

"Time doesn't work like that!" Adam snapped "You shouldn't mess with it, it's bad enough that I sometimes speed up or slow down days!"

"Adam's right, time isn't something that should be messed with. There is always a price to pay for it. We've risked everything by coming back and melding with our sixteen year old selves; we'll have to answer to what we've done one day and we've accepted that"

"She's right, if we go back and just whack Kivar then this present time might cease to exist, who knows what would happen. Liz might have died in that shooting and Michael, Isabel and I might never have been born"

"But isn't there a time when we could kill him so that this present time isn't affected?" Jim leaned forward waiting for the answer but all he received was a negative shake of the head "So all we do is train, then? If that's the case then I'll help out and train you to use fire arms" he shook his head as his eyes rose to the ceiling, they're all just kids, he thought sadly.

"Thanks, Jim" smiled Liz before pulling out her double edged hunting knife from the holster as her hip "I'll teach you all how to use one of these as well. Anything can be used to kill a skin, if it gets up close then guns are useless" she tossed it up into the air, it spun and she caught it easily before putting it back away "I guess that's it for this meeting"

"I need to get to work" said Max slowly rising to his feet, he looked at Laurie and she nodded imperceptibly. He was asking her to watch over Liz again; the past few days she'd become her unofficial bodyguard and she was glad of the task.

***

At the same time everyone was getting together for the meeting, on the other side of the world, in Italy, not far from Rome, three people were in a silver family car driving to the park

"Siete che aspettate con impazienza andare in America, Giacomo?" asked Lilith glancing in the rear view mirror to see her four year old son (Are you looking forward to going to America, Giacomo?)

"Sì, mama" he smiled "Quando siamo che andiamo?" (Yes, mama) (When are we going?)

Matthew and Lilith Copper had lived in Italy for almost ten years now; they were four years shy of their thirties, their son knew only how to speak Italian

"Durante un anno, abbiamo mólto fare prima che possiamo andare, ma sarà piacevole andare indietro in America" said Matt with a warm smile reaching his green eyes as he reached across to hold his wife's hand (In a year, we've got a lot to do before we can go, but it will be nice to go back to America)

"So. Sto osservando in avanti ad esso" she agreed "Ed otterremo di vedere ancora Claudia… La ho mancata così tanto" (I know. I'm looking forward to it) (And we'll get to see Claudia again... I've missed her so much)

"Chi è Claudia, mama?" (Who's Claudia, mama?)

"Sta andando essere la vostra piccola sorella, ma non è sopportata ancora" she told him before pushing her reddish brown hair behind her ear. (She's going to be your little sister, but she's not born yet)

"È che va essere graziosa come voi, mama?" asked the dark haired boy in the back; despite their fairer features he had ended up with almost black hair and stunning brown eyes flecked with gold and amber (Is she gonna be pretty like you, mama?)

"Sì," she said as she turned in her seat to talk to him "Se la occuperete di non voi Giac? Promettami che sarete un buon fratello maggiore a Claudia e sempre se la occuperete di" (Yes, she will) (You'll look after her won't you Giac? Promise me you'll be a good big brother to Claudia and always look after her)

"Mama, ma come la I sa se sono un buon fratello?" he asked "Devo prendere una prova? Non gradico le prove" (I will, mama, but how will I knows if I'm a good brother?) (Do I have to take a test? I don't like tests)

"Nessuna prova, sweetie. Saprete appena perché sarà felice" said Matt. (No test, sweetie. You'll just know because she'll be happy)

It had been rough for the two of them. When they'd first come to Italy they had nothing but forged identification and a small amount of money they'd brought with them; they hadn't exactly planned what had happened in the Granolith chamber.

"Siete giusto?" Lil asked her husband, he smiled wistfully as he parked in the car park to the large grassy area (Are you okay?)

"Stavo pensando appena a Max ed a Liz" he told her and she sighed looking off into the distance remembering what had happened. They'd gone to the Granolith chamber when it was time; Max, Liz and River Dog were there when they arrived... (I was just thinking about Max and Liz)

"Sono morto, Matthew, sono morto un mólto tempo fa. È che cosa hanno voluto" she whispered (They died, Matthew, they died a long time ago. It's what they wanted)

"So che è e sono riconoscente per che cosa hanno fatto per noi, I appena… Non posso aiutare ma pensare loro di tanto in tanto. Erano in modo da giovani… non hanno avuto mai la probabilità vivere le loro vite" (I know it is, and I am grateful for what they did for us, I just... I can't help but think of them from time to time. They were so young... they never got the chance to live their lives)

"Chi sono voi che parlate, papà?" asked Giacomo as he unfastened his seat belt (Who are you talking about, papa)

"Stiamo parlando di due genti molto importanti che è morto un molto tempo fa dentro una guerra" said Lil as she "Sono morto in modo da il mondo troverebbe la pace e rinvierebbe ad un'età dell'oro" (We're talking about two very important people who died a long time ago in a war) (They died so the world would find peace and return to a golden age)

"Sono nel cielo?" he asked as Matt retrieved the picnic basket from the trunk (Are they in heaven)

"Sì, sweetie, sono nel cielo" she replied then the three of them walked into the park to find a nice spot to sit down. They sat down to eat the nice food that had been packed into the basket (Yes sweetie, they are in Heaven)

"Il papà, può voi raccontarmi la storia della famiglia reale?" (Papa, can you tell me the story of the Royal Family?)

"Realmente amate che la storia non fa voi, bambino? Bene, conoscete che cosa? L'un giorno state andando incontrarli" (You really love that story don't you, baby? Well, you know what? One day you're going to meet them)

"Realmente!" he gasped sitting up straight "I che va incontrare il re e la regina?" (Really!) (I'm gonna meet the King and Queen?)

"Matthew, nient'altro" snapped Lil suddenly "Rifinisca i vostri panini, bambino" (Matthew, no more) (Finish your sandwiches, baby)

"Ma mama" (But mama)

"Fa il non `ma il mama me. Prenda alcuni più morsi o non mangerete il vostro pudding" (Don't 'but mama' me. Take a few more bites or you won't have your pudding)

"Approvazione" he said dejectedly. (Okay)

She curled up against his side with the basket at their feet as they watched their son play on the jungle gym

"Perché non lo vuole dirgli che cosa è? Questi dieci anni che scorsi li abbiamo vivo qui sono stati così prudenti… Odio stare a lui; esso sono come la menzogne a voi Lilith" (Why don't want you to tell him what he is? These past ten years we've lived here we've been so cautious... I hate lying to him; it's like lying to you Lilith)

"È troppo giovane, Matt, lui è troppo giovane partecipare a tutto quel roba. È appena un ragazzino, è il mio ragazzino e lo voglio vivere in un ambiente sicuro prima che coltivi in su e voglia sapere perché può fare le cose che altri bambini non possono" (He's too young, Matt, he's too young to be involved in all that stuff. He's just a little boy, he's my little boy and I want him to live in a safe environment before he grows up and wants to know why he can do things other children can't)

"Che cosa sono noi che andiamo fare quando comincia sviluppare i poteri?" he asked her and she sighed (What are we going to do when he starts developing powers?)

"Dovremmo essere indietro in Roswell con il nostro proprio genere per il momento in cui accada. Gli diremo che allora, ma per ora, può noi appena lasci il nostro figlio svilupparsi senza il caos straniero? Pensa le storie voi gli dicano che è emozionanti ed il divertimento ma quello è perché pensa le cose come quello non accadrebbe mai" (We should be back in Roswell with our own kind by the time that happens. We'll tell him then, but for now, can we just let our son grow without the alien chaos? He thinks the stories you tell him are exciting and fun but that's because he thinks things like that would never happen)

"Non possiamo continu aare fare questo per sempre" (We can't keep doing this forever)

"So, non sto chiedendo esso di essere per sempre appena… lo lascio sono un bambino fino a che realmente non ottenga implicato con il caos straniero e debba svilupparsi in su" (I know, I'm not asking for it to be forever just... let him be a child until he actually does get involved with the alien chaos and has to grow up)

"Approvazione" he agreed finally (Okay)

"Mama, papà! Guardilo! Guardilo!" he called from the slide before going down it then getting up to run over to them "Stavate guardando? Avete veduto?" (Mama, papa! Watch me! Watch me) (Were you watching? Did you see?)

"Abbiamo veduto, bambino" said Lilith as she picked up her little boy, she lifted him into the air and spun around "Siete così intelligente!" (We saw, baby) (You're so clever!)

*

She washed the dishes while Matt read their son a story before bedtime. She wasn't really focused on her task because she was thinking about the past; talking with her husband earlier that day had dredged everything up. It wasn't difficult for Max and Liz and River Dog to enter her mind

They'd driven to the Granolith as fast as they could, the book had said it was time; they'd left Claudia with Isabel and the Evans saying their goodbyes. It had been hard because they knew that they would never see them again... then Max and Liz had saved them. Told them that they were going to go back in time, the Granolith was activated and they left leaving the three of them behind.

They'd gone back in time and found themselves in Roswell in the eighties; they knew that they couldn't stay there for fear of running into their friends or family and altering history so they decided to leave. Both of them chose Italy and then they left, it took them no time at all to learn the language and they settled into their lives, studying to become doctors. After spending five years in Italy, Lilith had fallen pregnant with a little boy; Giacomo Mikhail Copper.

They'd graduated and become doctors working at the same hospital, she'd excelled in the field of molecular biology and he was a chief doctor.

"Buona notte, mama!" Giacomo called as he came rushing into the kitchen, she picked him up and held her in her arms (Goodnight, mama!)

"Buona notte, bambino" she replied as she carried him into his bedroom. Matt was already there folding down the blankets on his little bed (Goodnight, baby)

"Mama, possiamo andare in America presto? Voglio incontrare Claudia" (Mama, can we go to America soon? I want to meet Claudia)

"Presto, bambino, presto prometterò" she told him softly as she brushed his hair back and he tried to fight off sleep (Soon, baby, soon I promise)

"Ti amo mama, ti amo papà" he finally said before rolling over and went to sleep. (I love you mama, I love you papa)

Matt reached for her hand and the two of them left their son's room turning off the light and closing the door as they went. He led her to their room and she could finally be her real self, she waved her hand across her face turning her features back to what they used to be and he did the same. It had been two years since they'd last done this, since they'd let themselves look like they once did

"Ti amo" he whispered as he ran his fingertips over her face memorising everything once more. She cupped his face doing the same, she gasped as his finger tips danced across her mouth and the flashes started (I love you)

_Being in the Granolith chamber when it was being activated; they had programmed it to do two things and it was complaining under the tasks. The chamber was windy as the energy built up. _

_Coming to Italy with only a little money and buying the run down house on the hill; they'd only ate bread and cheese for weeks while they stayed there, using their powers to fix it up. Once they had a place to live they both got jobs and started their courses, learning Italian and training to become doctors. _

_Holding out the positive pregnancy test to Matthew, they were going to have a baby! They turned their study into a baby room and moved all their office equipment into the garage since it was unused. Giacomo Mikhail Copper was born a month later. _

"Lilith? L'amore, è voi giusto?" (Lilith? Love, are you okay)

"Yeah, sono benissimo" she whispered "Ho avuto un flash. Non ho avuto un flash in così molto tempo. Potrei ritenere come avete ritenuto questi anni ultimi" (Yeah, I'm fine) (I had a flash. I haven't had a flash in such a long time. I could feel how you felt these past few years)

"E come ho fatto ritenga?" (And how did I feel?)

"Avete ritenuto meraviglioso. Tutto questo volta che avete potuto vivere una vita normale gli ha reso il più felice voi mai essere" (You felt wonderful. All this time that you've been able to live a normal life has made you the happiest you've ever been)

"Sì ho… ma manco la nostra famiglia. Non posso attendere per andare a casa in America; So che non possiamo lasciarli conoscere chi siamo ma sarà piacevole essere intorno loro. Maria e Michael, Isabel e mamma e papà" (Yes I have... but I miss our family. I can't wait to go home to America; I know that we can't let them know who we are but it'll be nice to be around them. I miss Maria and Michael, I miss Isabel and mom and dad)

"So. Manco i miei genitori anche" she replied, he wrapped his arms around her and they both laid down together "Claudia sta andando essere sopportata il prossimo giovedì" (I know. I miss my parents too) (Claudia is going to be born next Thursday)

"Alla metà due del pomeriggio… Matthew… Voglio andare a Roswell. Voglio essere vicino loro quando Claudia nasce" (At half two in the afternoon... Matthew... I want to go to Roswell. I want to be near them when Claudia is born)

"Non possiamo. Non possiamo entr inare contatto con, voi conosciamo questo! È pericoloso" (We can't. We can't come into contact with them, you know this! It's dangerous)

"So, ma lo ho bisogno, lo ho bisogno… anche se andiamo ad Albuquerque e convinciamo un agente ad esaminare le case per noi" (I know, but I need it, I _need_ it... even if we go to Albuquerque and get an agent to look at houses for us)

"Lo ho bisogno anche, amore, ma è troppo rischioso" he told her "Darei qualche cosa andare indietro ma non è tempo e se vada presto indietro allora tutto potrebbe essere rovinato" she nodded as her face scrunched up; she looked away trying to blink away the tears "Otteniamo un certo sonno. Comunicheremo più di mattina" (I need it too, love, but it's too risky) (I would give anything to go back but it isn't time and if go back early then everything could be ruined) (Let's get some sleep. We'll talk more in the morning)

She just nodded then waved her hand over her face returning her features to reddish brown hair and bright blue eyes, he did the same turning his face and hair to dark blonde with dark green eyes. They settled down for the night and went to sleep.

***

Back in Roswell three people stood side by side, the two on the outside supported the person in the middle who was having trouble standing, it was nearly lunchtime on the Monday

"Maria, can I just talk to my daughter for a moment?" asked Jeff

"Sure, I'll go let them know you'll be a few minutes" Maria replied as she made her way through the doors were Alex and Kyle were standing leaving Liz and her dad standing alone

"Dad..."

"Liz, let me speak... there are a few things I want to say before you belong to someone else" he interrupted her "I know that people are going to think that this is a shotgun wedding because you're pregnant with little Claudia but it's not, I think you've wanted this for a long time; to get married with your family and friends around you, Claudia just happens to be a bonus.

"When you were little you always wanted to do things on your own, you were so responsible but you were still just a kid and when you'd fall over or things didn't make sense you'd come running to me and I'd try and make it better. You grew up into a world where you had to leave and I wasn't there to do that and by the time you came back it was too late because I was taken from you. I couldn't protect you like a father should... but that was okay because you had him. He's done everything to protect you and make you happy and that's all I want for you; I want you to be happy and loved and I... I..." he started tearing up, his voice choking "And I'm glad that he'll be there when I'm not around"

"I love you, daddy" she whispered trying to hold back her tears too "Dad, you know when I said that the war is coming. I want you to promise me something"

"Sure, what?"

"I want you to promise me that whatever happens, Claudia will be looked after and loved"

"Liz?"

"Promise me!" she demanded

"I promise, of course I promise, she's my granddaughter" he assured her "You know what's going to happen don't you, in the war?"

"We do know but we're not allowed to tell anyone, it was a condition for knowing the future" she told him then Maria came back out

"The priest is getting moody, he says start now or don't start at all" she told her two friends as she came to stand back on Liz's left.

Alex and Kyle opened the doors and the music began to play as the three of them walked down the aisle; Jeff was giving her away and Maria was maid of honour. They flanked her both of them helping her to walk down the aisle. She was heavily pregnant at this stage.

Max was waiting near the altar, with Michael standing to his side as best man, and he had the biggest grin on his face as she walked towards him. They joined hands and he wrapped his arm around her to hold her up against him

"Dearly beloved" began the minister as they both turned to face him...

An hour later they were all together at the CrashDown for the reception; some of the tables had been moved aside for dancing and the little stage had been set up for a band. Max and Liz were dancing as husband and wife and had been pretty much since they arrived. Maria was watching them as she sat in a booth and ate some cake, Michael was in the kitchen helping Nancy with more food and drink for the people celebrating

"They're really something, aren't they?" stated Tommy rhetorically as he sat down opposite her, he dropped his own plate of cake down on the table and began stabbing at it with a plastic fork

"Yeah, they are, I wonder how long it is before Michael has me as his little wifey" she commented as she watched her friends

"You sound a little unsure about it, don't you want to marry him?"

"I do... it's just I want to marry him because I'm supposed to have this fantastic future with him... we have two great kids and we're happy"

"But"

"But I don't want to be stuck as some housewife, I want to travel and see the world. There has to be something better out there for me than Roswell, New Mexico"

"I'm sure he wants the same thing. You're both destined for great things... you're the Generals to an alien race. I think that counts as being a little better than Roswell, New Mexico" he grinned and she laughed, nodding her head as his words made sense "I'm the one who has the problem"

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Do you think there is some strange alien vibe that I might have picked up somehow?"

"Like an alien virus? Are you sick?" she asked concerned; Michael spotted Maria and Tommy talking out of the corner of his eye. It was still weird knowing that Tommy knew about all of them and now he was putting the moves on his girlfriend?

"Not sick. I think I've fallen in love with Liz Parker... Liz Evans" he whispered looking in her general direction

"Whu... but you're gay" she pointed out and his eyes went wide

"She told you?"

"No. I'm a woman... I have gaydar and besides Michael told me how weird it was that you were going on and on about Zan. Doesn't take a genius to figure it out, especially when you sometimes look at Max"

"So you and Michael know I'm gay now?" he asked, she shook her head

"I do, he doesn't and as for Liz... I think it's because she's incredible. She's done so much and it's hard not to be attracted to that"

"You too?" he asked and she smirked

"A little bit" she replied then laughed as she returned to her cake "You know we should hang out while they're on their honeymoon. It'd be nice to talk to someone who's on the edge of the alien chaos. You help put things in perspective"

"Why Maria Deluca, are you offering to be my hag?" he chuckled

"Sure. I could use another girlfriend" she said rolling her eyes "So, you have the hots for Zan?"

"If he's anything like Max then God yes, I've seen him enough times in the locker room to know he's got one hell of a body!"

"I think Tess has already laid claim to him, sorry"

"Don't be. I didn't really think I had much chance with him... or Max for that matter. It was more of a fantasy, before all this I had a feeling that I'd have more chance with Michael"

"Michael? My Michael?" gasped Maria is disbelief "He's too much of a guy to be gay. No offence"

"None taken. But if you two didn't have such a future then I'd be in like a shot, closet or not" he told her and she chuckled as she shook her head again "How about we go shopping? We can shop for baby clothes for Liz's baby"

"Deal" she said holding out her hand and he shook it. Michael had watched the whole encounter from the kitchen window and couldn't help how jealous he felt.

TBC...


	25. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty Three**

Courtney finished writing down her notes then closed the manila folder and shoved it in her backpack before going to her dirt bike to ride into Copper Summit to send the notes via Fax to Kevin. The left General had chosen a second in command and now it was time for her to take her place as second in command to the right General, this was the role she had been destined for and wanted more than anything.

She arrived in town and pulled her helmet up surveying the town; she'd been asked to observe and be aware of any possible threat that would harm them. So far they had been none, everything was carrying on like it should be. She briefly wondered if Connie and Griffin were having as dull a time watching over the newly-weds in Albuquerque?

*

"It's weird, ya know. I mean one day everything's normal and the next..."

"It's like years have passed and we've lived it. It's chaotic!" Tommy agreed with her as they walked round the mall together and she nodded

"The memories make it feel like everything's happened but it hasn't and that's what makes everything so hard. We end up together like it was planned and we have no say"

"Don't you want to be with Michael?" he asked as the two of them settled down in the food court

"It's not that, it's just... I'm supposed to have this future with him, I guess I just wish I had a say in all this"

"I see what you mean. But to be honest, I envy you that your life is so mapped out and planned. You have two wonderful kids and marry a wonderful guy" she patted his hand

"I'm sure you'll find someone to be with you" she told him, he just sighed

"I know but then there's all this stuff. The alien stuff, I'm sure it would get in the way if I tried to have a relationship" he shook his head and looked away "I guess for the time being I'm going to live vicariously through you and your relationship with Michael" he told her and she chuckled "I've seen Max and Liz start to get into it and they can get pretty steamy... what about you two? Do you get steamy? Do you like it?"

"God yeah... I know a lot of girls at school rave over Max but I've always liked Michael more. When we were staying with Langley we shared a room, it was nice sleeping next to him and we did make out a few times. I've not gone above and beyond yet, I'm still a bit worried about what being with an alien will be like. I would ask Liz but technically by the time they were doing it she was alien too so I'm not sure it counts"

"So you've thought about it"

"Of course I have. I mean... my first and probably only time is going to be with an alien. I wish I could have something to compare it with but I want him to be my first. God, I'm already talking about that step and we haven't even gone on a proper date yet!"

"Well then talk to him. Tell him about all this... have you told him about wanting to go on a date? I bet you haven't, I bet you haven't even talked about how the two of you are automatically paired up"

"But how can I? He seems to happy to be with me, he's so sure and doesn't have doubts"

"Did he say he didn't have doubts?" he inquired and she shook her head "Well then talk to him. You need to take time to learn to read him, he's Stonewall Guerin remember?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Come on, enough of this... let's do more shopping!"

"Deal!" the two of them stood up and left the food court to wander round more shops.

***

It was weird being here, almost as if he was replacing something that was long since lost, but it was good at the same time. He enjoyed the fact that it was warm and he could sleep as long as he wanted and there was a shower he could use free of charge. Then there was mom and dad... Diane and Phillip... his parents. He got out of bed, Max's bed, and slipped his arms into the crutches Topolski had brought round for him; he missed being able to walk properly but neither he or Max could heal this. It really was like it was meant to be and there was nothing he could do about it.

He spotted himself in the mirror and paused to look at how different he was now; he'd got rid of his soul patch but still had a rough beard, his hair was still short with tight phat dreds but his eyes... god, it was his eyes that were what was so strange to him. They were frightened and the once proud and strong, defiant person he'd been had long gone away.

"Zan?" called Diane as she entered the room "Ah, you're awake. How are you feeling this morning?"

"Okay, I guess, it's strange being here" he looked down "It'll take some time to get used to, this is going to be a big change from New York"

"We'll be here for you. You have a family now that's willing to look after you... and from what I saw the other day you have Tess" she smiled at him knowingly but he just sighed

"I had a family... mom, and all of them apart from Ava are dead. I couldn't save Lonnie but I could have fought back against what they did to Rath" he shuffled back and sank down on the bed "How can I be a part of your family when I couldn't even protect my own?"

"Hey... shhh" she whispered as she sat down next to him "You've been alone with them all your life haven't you? You were born and then you had to grow up to protect them"

"But it wasn't good enough! Mommy... I failed" he said so quietly and so sadly that it broke her heart

"You didn't fail, Zan, they were taken from you and you were locked up in that awful place by that monster! The death of Rath and Lonnie weren't your fault..."

"I... I can't stay here" he shook his head just as Isabel came into the room

"Morning guys... Zan? Mom? What's wrong?" she asked when she saw how broken her new brother looked. He looked up at her then fiercely shook his head

"I thought I could but I can't... I can't stay here! Not when she looks like Lonnie and Michael looks like Rath!"

"Zan..." began Diane but he shook his head

"Please... it's too raw. I just need some time... I need to grieve. I need to be away so I can deal with losing them"

"It's dangerous! Zan, the FBI is still looking for you!" Isabel pointed out "Where are you going to go? You're not exactly in a state to protect yourself"

"I still have my powers!" he snapped angrily "So I can't walk as fast as I used to be able to that doesn't mean I can protect myself! I just... I can't stay here when you look like her! I can still see her lying on the hood of the car! Her eyes... God! I can't be around you and see the same vacant expression in your eyes. If you're going to be my sister I can be here... be around you and see that! I can't! I have to go away"

"No... please, Zan" begged Diane "If you stay here we'll be help you through this. We'll support you"

"Mom..." Isabel came and sat down to Zan and held his hand "If he needs to go away for a while we have to respect it. It's something he needs and as a family we have to give it to him"

"But I can't lose him... not when I got him back... you're my children!"

"Got me back? This is the first- oh, oh no..." he trailed off as he looked into the older woman's eyes "This would never have worked. I would have loved for you to be my mommy but I can't be your son. Not when I'm a replacement"

"Replacement?"

"For Max, I look like him... I sound like him, but I'm not him. I am my own person but you can't see that. Isabel... could you take me to Tess's"

"Sure. Let's go" she said as she helped him up, she could practically feel his pain at realising he was a replacement, at realising he would only be second best. Like her.

Diane watched the two of them go and she felt like she'd made such a big mistake. Zan had needed her, he was alone in the world and he'd come to them for help and she'd been selfish and pretended he was someone else. All this time she'd tried connecting with Max as her son, he'd been so distant and she'd worked hard to try and make sure he was loved, but the thing was he was loved. He was surrounded by family and friends, which meant she'd completely neglected the people who had strived for her love and never received it. She was going to make sure that changed as soon as possible!

*

Laurie was surprised to see Isabel standing in the doorway when she opened the door but it all made sense when she saw Zan sitting in the jeep

"I'll get Tess" she said instantly and hurried off to get her housemate. She was surprised to say the least to see the taller blonde girl standing there

"Hey, Isabel, what can I do for you?" she asked politely

"My brother... he needs you"

"Max? What does...." she trailed off when she saw Zan sitting there staring at her, boring a hole into her chest "Zan"

"I... this is hard for me... what with Alex and all but I want to... I want to trust you. You saved Alex from Nasedo so I'm making a leap of faith. I know we didn't grow up together but Zan is my brother and at the moment I have more in common with him than I do Max so I'm entrusting you to him. You can help him, can't you?"

"I will try" she nodded then walked out to the car and got his crutches from the back seat. She could have helped him hobble inside but instead she let him walk on his own; he'd always been a strong person and she was acknowledging his defiance against his new disability.

Zan nodded at Isabel as he passed before heading inside on a course for Tess's bedroom. Isabel put her hand on Tess's shoulder and tried to show how much trust she was putting in the smaller blonde

"I'll take care of him"

"Thank you. I should be getting back, Alex is coming over to 'officially' meet my parents and there are some things I have to talk to mom about"

"Okay, I'll see you at school tomorrow. Good luck with your meal! Say hi to Alex for me" she said quietly. Isabel nodded before getting in the jeep and driving home.

She went inside, closing the door behind her, and paused when she saw Ava and Laurie sitting in the kitchen opposite each other with matching smirks on their faces. Tess bit her lip as her face went bright red. Her sister and house mate couldn't miss the opportunity to embarrass her

"Oh Zan!" Ava mimicked her twin "I'm so glad you're here! I loooove you Zan!"

"I love you too Tess!" Laurie answered, giggling as she pretended to be the dupe "Let's make babies!"

"I don't sound like that do I?" he asked from the doorway. All three girls fell silent for a moment before Ava and Laurie burst out in fits of laughter. Tess bit her lip from laughing along with them "I came down coz I was just wondering... that is... if you don't mind. Can I sleep with you? No! I mean... uhh... can we share the bed... or am I on the couch"

"It's a big enough bed" Tess answered, the other two girls were pretty much rolling on the floor laughing their heads off. It became so infectious both Zan and Tess started laughing "Come on... I'll show you were you can put your things"

"I don't... I don't have any things" he whispered sadly once all the laughing had died down. Laurie was starting dinner when Kyle knocked on the door then came in, he immediately went over to his girlfriend

"Hey man. How's things" he asked after he kissed her hello

"Good I... I'm good. I'm going to be living here from now on" he explained to the other boy

"Really? Should I be jealous?" he asked turning to Laurie who just rolled her eyes and flashed him her warm smile

"Maybe you could help him out? Kyle why don't you let Zan borrow some of your clothes for the time being? He hasn't got any and it's not like we can take him to the mall and replace what he left in New York"

"Are you sure you really want to do that? I mean there's a bit of height difference"

"I'll use my powers to alter them. I just want clean underwear" he answered him, Kyle's eyebrow shot up

"Laurie! My underwear too?" he complained, she glared at him then held out her hand and a small tub of spices came flying from the shelf they were sat on, she sprinkled some into the pan then tossed it and it went whizzing back to the shelf

"Yes, or do you want him walking round here naked?" she smirked and his eyes went wide

"Zan, this way" he said quickly and led Zan to Laurie's room where some of his things were stored. Zan watched as the shorter boy pulled out some clothes and used his powers to alter them

"How long have you been able to do that?" he inquired, Kyle had altered the clothes with ease like he'd been doing it for a thousand times before

"About a month or so. Ever since Liz gave us all her memories, I think she changed me somehow when she did it"

"Why are you so good at it? If you've only had them for a few weeks then you shouldn't be able to do that so easily"

"I don't know. I just can" he sat back and began to think about it. Ever since Liz had shown him the future he'd been able to do things and he'd never questioned it

"Does it bother you? That you can do these things? That you've become an alien essentially?"

Kyle looked up at Zan and for a second he did feel the overwhelming shock, horror and disbelief at becoming something different but it passed in an instant, he smiled then shook his head

"No, I thought it would thinking about it, but no... it doesn't. I have the powers now to protect my family and friends. I can protect my home and all the people I love... I'm alive and I have that ability. When I think of the alternative..." he shook his head again "Does it bother you? Being alien? If you could be human would you?"

"I... I don't know. I guess... maybe. If I had the chance to have a normal life where people wouldn't expect the world from me and I could live a life without being hunted then yeah I could be happy with that"

"I know it will be a while before you can get there but I think that life is possible. Max and Liz are doing something, I'm not sure what it is yet, but they've got a plan to make everything okay. It's why the came back... to give us all the life we should have had"

"Hm" he mumbled as he thought to himself before turning back to Kyle "So, what's your main power? What can you do?" Kyle smirked then held up his hand as it slowly began to dissolve like it wasn't there

"Invisibility baby! How cool is that?" he had a big grin on his face as his hand reappeared, Zan nodded impressed then reached for the clothes to get changed.

***

Courtney glanced over at Topolski who nodded back at her from her spot behind the shed, she turned and looked up into the sky before raising her hand and focusing. The clouds began to shift into words alerting members of the Royal Resistance what was about to happen. They waited for fifteen minutes before Topolski nodded at her again and then the first wave moved in. Anyone who wasn't wearing a blue shirt was to be wiped out, the only ones to be left alive was Nicholas and Greer.

It took two hours to wipe out the enemy skins, some of the Royal Resistance helped out and they had managed to capture Nicholas and Greer. They had been detained with their hands behind their backs secured with handcuffs made from depleted uranium and hoods covering their heads. Courtney was temporarily working for the Special Unit, they were going to get as many answers from Greer and Nicholas about Kivar and Antar using any means necessary.

*

"You have your orders. I want you to work with Courtney in recreating the atmosphere inside the two White Rooms" she said giving her orders to the chief scientist who scowled

"You want me to work with that thing?" he cried in disbelief

"No. I want you to work with Courtney who as of yesterday became a temporary agent in this unit. She's being diplomatic to ensure the survival of her world... and ours so if she can find it within herself to work with someone whose alien to her then you can do the same!"

"Yes, Ma'am" he replied finally, annoyed that what she'd just said made him feel contrite. He wandered down the hall to the lab where she was waiting for him while Topolski went to the observation room to the two White Rooms where Nicholas and Greer were currently housed.

"Hello Agent Banks, I'm Dr Abbott, I understand you're willing to help the unit recreate your home environment and atmosphere"

"Yes, it's all for controlling Nicholas and Greer. In theory if they are in our natural atmosphere then they will no longer need the husks and then we could use the repressing serum on them to keep them from using their powers. Anything to keep those two monsters from their strength is definitely a blessing" she said as she began writing down the formula for her natural atmosphere

"I never realised. A lot of the other scientists and certainly some of the agents thought it was just to make them comfortable since they were going to be here for a long time" he sat down on a stool and watched her as she wrote. Everything about her appeared human; her skin, her mannerisms, her voice... how many other aliens had fooled the people around them, he wondered?

"Oh they'll be here for a long time alright, hopefully long enough so they can be tried as war criminals and sentenced to death"

"I know as scientist who works for the FBI I answer to Topolski and therefore the President but I was just wondering who do you answer to?"

"Me, I answer to the Royal Family of Antar. It's a little ironic that all the members of that Royal Family were technically born here on Earth" she smirked then shook her head

"On Earth? Have they ever been to their home world?" he was curious to learn about the Antarian Royal Family and was even more surprised to find they'd all been born on his planet.

"Technically only the King and the Queen have been to Antar" she stopped writing and looked up at him and he could see the tragedy and shame in her eyes

"What happened?"

"They were separated and thrown into dungeons; he was tortured and she was raped repeatedly. God only knows how they survived"

"Did they escape? They must have done. Did they come back here to Earth?"

"Yes they did; they came back not just through space but through time as well. They melded with their selves in this present time line so the future they had never existed. Max and Liz have all the answers and they're doing everything in their power to keep the Earth from being destroyed and humanity wiped out"

"Why would they do that? Why bother about some planet with a few billion people on it? I mean, for God's sake, they are..." he trailed off when he realised who he was talking to. He'd forgotten for a moment; damn her for looking so much like him

"They are what...? Alien? They bother because this is their home, a home full of people they love and care about. They may be the rulers of Antar but that planet is just as alien to them as it is to you"

"I'm sorry" he apologised for his attitude and almost outburst. She continued writing and he sat in silence for a moment before his curiosity got the better for him once more "Can you go home?"

"To Henseifu?" she looked up at him, stopped scratching away with her pen

"Henseifu? I thought your home was called Antar"

"There are two stars in a solar system and five planets all with life on them. Antar is the largest planet and where King Zan originally comes from, it's considered the first planet while Henseifu is considered the third planet; that's where I am from"

"What are the other planets called?"

"Oduro is the second planet, Toiu is the fourth planet and Favowta is the fifth planet" she told him, before smiling at him "Are you done playing twenty questions or can I go back to work?"

"Oh yeah sure. Sorry" he apologised and he blushed "Um, just one final question. How old are you? You're wearing a husk right? I heard from Agent Topolski that they last for fifty years so I was just wondering..." he knew he was rambling but he couldn't help himself; she flustered him.

"I was nineteen, nearly twenty when I first put this husk on. That was almost fifty years ago"

"So that makes you... like seventy?"

"We live a lot longer than humans. I'm still incredibly young compared to the other people in the Royal Resistance. Working for the King like this is such an honour"

"Have you ever met him? The King?"

"Once, briefly, before I came here. He didn't really say much, I was given my orders by the Queen"

"What's she like?" he was so intrigued, he'd longed to learn about space and now here he was talking with a creature from another planet

"She looks so small and quiet but there's this whole aura of strength and power, I could feel how incredible she was and in how much pain she was in"

"Pain?" he frowned, why would their Queen be in pain?

"I've seen a lot of people who've been put through the wringer for information and come out on the other side... this woman... this Elizabeth Parker... Evans..." she smiled at her slip before she continued "I could sense that she went through something far more worse than any torture victim I've seen. It's like whoever did this to her took pleasure destroying her over and over again until there was nearly nothing left"

"You could sense this? Do you know what happened to her... who did it to her?"

"Yes, as a matter of a fact, I do. His name is Kivar and he's the person who we're fighting against" she said then got back to work signalling that it was the end of the discussion and she didn't want to be interrupted again.

*

Laurie nervously smoothed down her pale lilac jumper before fixing her long blonde hair as she gathered up the courage to knock on the door in front of her. She'd escaped from a mental facility and was preparing for interplanetary war yet she couldn't find the strength to face her new 'brother'.

She sighed deeply then knocked and waited almost hoping that he was out or busy with Maria or a thousand other reasons why he wouldn't be at home but luck was against her as she heard him coming to the door. He opened it, surprised to see her standing there

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately

"Nothing... I just thought I'd come and see you" she replied then shook her head "It was a stupid idea. I'll go"

"No, wait! You don't have to go!" he called out as he grabbed her arm "Please come in. It's not much, not even that tidy but..." he trailed off knowing that he was rambling; things were still awkward between them. He stepped aside to let her in and she brushed past him quickly "Do you want... tea or coffee? Something to eat"

"No, no. I just... I um I was wondering... I mean I came here to see if you wanted to do something familyish. You know, hanging around watching videos or grabbing a bite to eat... or whatever normal brothers and sisters do"

"Game of basketball then how about we go for tacos? I know a great place off 380" he suggested "Or we could do something you want to do... thinking about it, basketball is more of a guy's thing right?"

"No, not at all. I used to play basketball with my grandpa... our grandpa before he died. He absolutely loved the game, when I was ten we went to a game and I got a ball signed by Michael Jordan"

"Really?"

"Yeah" she nodded happily the her smile slipped from her face "But then uncle Bobby gave it away"

"Bastard" growled Michael "Maybe we can persuade Isabel to pay a nightly visit to uncle Bobby and make him pay for the crap he put you through"

"Maybe..."

"Maybe? These are the people who put you in the nut house just so they could live in the lap of luxury!"

"Yeah but they're still my family"

"So am I" he snapped and she gave him a small smile before she shook her head and grew serious

"I don't want to talk about Uncle Bobby and Aunt Meredith right now. There's other things I wanted to talk to you about"

"Yeah?" he asked as they reached the court and he began to dribble the ball he'd brought with him

"It's Max and Liz" she stated as she moved to tackle the ball from his grasp

"What about them?" he slowed and she stole the ball from him "Are they in trouble? Was their honeymoon trip a bad idea?"

"What? No. I think it was a good idea for them to get that before... before the war comes. It's not long now is it?"

"No it's not. We've got about a week..." he trailed off as the implication that in a weeks time they would be fighting for their lives, for their very right to live here on Earth.

"Somethings up with them. They know what's going to happen and for some reason they're not telling us... but it's not just that. There's something else going on and I'm not the only one whose noticed it. I think that they're going to do something and whatever it is they do successfully ends the war in our favour"

"Have you figured out what it is?"

"Not a clue. I've been spending a fair bit of time with Liz and while I can sense that this is really important I'm beyond figuring out what it is"

"You don't think that they... sacrifice themselves do you?"

"I don't know, possible, I'm not sure though. Liz seemed pretty upset about it at the meeting the other day and Max ordered us all not to ask about it" she sunk the ball in the net and Michael recovered it.

"What about Claudia? They'd never abandon her to become an orphan"

"Yeah but I have a feeling they'd sacrifice themselves for her, it's not as if there's not going to be anyone to look after her if something does happen to them" she pointed out "Anyone of us would step up to raise the Princess"

"I know but I hate the idea that one of us might have to. I don't want to lose either of them"

"Me neither" she said quietly "When they come back, maybe we should try talking to them about it?"

"I can't, they ordered me not to... wait! Oh, loophole! We can't ask because we were ordered not to but we could get Tommy to ask since he wasn't at the meeting and he isn't under the whole 'alien' rules thing like we are"

"Does that bother you that we seem incapable of certain things just because they say so"

"I do a little bit but I'm sure there's reasons behind it all" he recovered the ball and the fell into playing and talking about their childhoods.

*

Alex nervously knocked on the door with his empty hand, tonight he was 'officially' meeting Philip and Diane Evans. Isabel had invited him over after Max and Liz's wedding and she had called him last night to make sure he was still coming. On the phone she sounded really upset about something but no matter how he tried he still couldn't get her to tell him what it was.

Philip opened the door and Alex did his best not to grimace when he saw Isabel's father glaring at him angrily.

"Alex"

"Mr Evans" he replied politely then Isabel appeared

"Hey, come in. Dad, are you going to let Alex come inside?" she asked, Philip didn't say anything just walked away

"These are for you. You sounded a bit upset about something last night so I thought I'd try and cheer you up"

"Thanks... I was... still am upset..." she mumbled as she took her flowers "Alex, what if you found out that no matter what you said or did your parents wouldn't love you as much as you loved them?"

"Has something happened?" he glanced off in the direction Philip had gone before turning back to her

"I always thought that the thing that was stopping me from being a true part of this family was the fact that I was an alien and that I was keeping it a secret... but I was wrong. Both my parents know who I am, what I am, and all they care about is Max. Zan left because he figured out that my mom was using him subconsciously as a replacement for Max"

"Isabel..." he whispered cupping her face just as Diane appeared in the kitchen doorway. Isabel blinked away her forming tears then shook her head

"I can't do this to you. Not when I don't feel like a member of this family" she said loud enough for both her mother and Alex to hear "Let's get out of here. Take me some place where I feel like I belong"

"Isab-" began Diane but she just grabbed Alex's hand, pulled him out the door and slammed it shut behind her. Philip came back into the room a little surprised he heard the front door bang so loudly and saw his wife standing alone

"What's wrong?"

"I'm a failure as a mother. I couldn't be a mother to Zan because I was treating him like Max and now Isabel doesn't feel like a member of this family! I worked so hard on trying to make Max fit in growing up that I failed to notice how much she needed me!"

"Did Alex say this to you?" he demanded, he'd been moody about Alex ever since he found him in Isabel's room

"No" she shook her head "Stop with the cold front, that kid knows her better than either of us do. She's complete with him, that's why she asked him to take her away from here. Asked him to take her some place where she belongs. God, what have we done?"

*

Alex drove her to the CrashDown, in the months since Liz revealed the future it had become a home for all of them, it was like a beacon shining against the coming storm.

"Thanks for bringing me here" she whispered quietly

"That's okay. It was either here or the Pod chamber and I didn't think that that would be such a good idea since you'd just had a fight with your parents"

"You know me so well" she replied as a smile drifted onto her face. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Maria and Tommy sitting together at one of the outside tables surrounded by shopping bags while Michael and Laurie were walking happily up from the Park, a basketball under Laurie's arm.

"Do you want to go inside?" he asked but she shook her head, reaching for this hand

"Not yet, in a bit, I just want to stay out here for a bit" she told him and he sighed letting go of her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulder "I'm sorry"

"Don't be. Tell me" Alex urged and she drew in a shaky breath

"I'm scared. Scared that they won't love me... it's always been about Max. The most ironic thing is I have a feeling he doesn't care if he's apart of this family or not. It scares me because it makes me so angry; so angry that I might loose control and Vilandra might come out. I can feel her hidden deep down inside me... I just wish there was some way to make her go away. Every day it feels like she's getting stronger and I'm getting weaker; she's going to win I just know it and then everything will repeat itself! I'll betray everyone and Earth will be destroyed!"

"Isabel! Stop!" Alex shouted, she let out a sob before she swallowed all the rest "You are not going to turn into Vilandra and you are not going to betray us. You're stronger than that!"

"But my family... and what I almost did to Tess in the library..." she pointed out but he shook his head

"You're stronger than Vilandra. She's the one whose weak, she's alone. You have me and you have your family. You have Michael and Max and Liz and all of us. We're not going to leave you!"

"How can you say something like that? What with the... the war" she pointed out

"Forget the war... I'm always going to be with you, Isabel" he said then held out both hands "If you'll be with me"

"You know I will" she replied so softly he barely heard her, she put both her hands in his and formed a connection with him showing him the real her, all her doubts and fears and she saw his. There was a moment of electricity that passed between them and everything was perfect "I love you, Alex"

"I love you, Isabel" he replied and she could feel it through the connection. She felt the coldness of Vilandra get weaker inside her and she felt filled with so much hope for the future.

"Let's go inside" she said with a bright smile that lit up her whole face. They got out of his car and went into the Cafe where Michael and Laurie were sat at a booth, they sat down joining them and not too long after that Maria and Tommy came in carrying several shopping bags between them. They all sat together and for a moment they sat in silence, looking around at each other tensely

"Max and Liz come back tomorrow afternoon" whispered Laurie and the others nodded without saying a word. Michael sighed deeply and looked up just in time to see Kyle, Ava and Tess to come in. The three of them spotted the six sat in the both and they joined them; the newcomers seemed to sense the nervous atmosphere and they too fell quiet until Michael cleared his throat and reached for Maria's hand

"The war is going to start next week" he began "We're... we're going to be fighting for our lives..."

"I'm scared" whispered Tess

"We know that you and Zan survive" Ava pointed out "I wish I could get visions of the future too. I'm not as strong as you are"

"Believe me you don't want to see what I see" she replied

"I wonder how Max and Liz found this all out. I wish I knew what they knew..." Michael shook his head angrily "They know who wins and who looses! I think that the people who lose have a right to know"

"Would you want to know that you're going to die?" demanded Tess "Because I've been there! It's not nice... when I think about that other past and what I did... it's not nice. I understand why they're not telling whoever... looses. Maybe, though, maybe they haven't told anyone of us who dies because... well maybe none of us die"

"No, I saw the look on Liz's face the other day. Someone..." Maria trailed off as it hit her "Someone dies... if it's not any of us... then? You don't think that it's them? Do you?"

"I thought the same thing at the park but it can't be true. They're the King and Queen, we need them... what about Claudia?"

"If anything did happen to them... then we'd all raise her" Isabel said "I know both my parents and Liz's parents would care for her" she said then her phone rang "It's mom, I really should go home. I have to talk to them"

"Do you want me to drive you?" asked Alex and she nodded "I'll see you guys tomorrow when Max and Liz get back off their honeymoon"

"Bye Alex, bye Isabel" they said bidding goodbye to their friends.

TBC...


	26. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty Four**

The café was bustling by the time Max and Liz came back from their honeymoon the next day. The group sat waiting for them in the café had sensed that they were around in the city for a while before they came to the CrashDown. The couple came in, Max was pretty much carrying Liz because she was heavily pregnant

"Chica! God, you're as big as a house! Give me some sugar!" said Maria as soon as she saw her. Maria threw her arms around her best friend and they hugged happily "When are you going to pop Chica?"

"Soon... very soon" she replied then lowered her voice "It's a month tomorrow"

"How was Carlsbad?" asked Adam who was still sat in the booth with his arm around Ava, Max smirked and Liz blushed

"We... uhh... we didn't really get to see a lot of the city..." she confessed as she wrapped her arms around her stomach; she briefly remembered all the glowing and touching they did in their little hotel room.

"Sorry to put a burden on all these happy moments but shouldn't we be working on some strategies?" Michael pointed out and Maria nodded. Max helped his new wife over to the booth and they all sat back down.

"Well? What have you got?" Max began looking round expectantly, Michael stared dumbly without saying anything for a moment

"What do you mean?" asked Tess then Laurie shook her head

"We should have been coming up with a plan of action ourselves. We're the Antarian Royal Court; Michael and Maria are generals... Alex and Isabel are advisers but we haven't worked together to think of how we're going to get through this" she pointed out and all of them looked guilty

"Max... sorry, man" Michael apologised nervously

"Forgiven, now... let's get down to business. What do we know?" Liz said looking round the court

"We know the war starts next week" Maria stated

"We know it's Kivar whose behind this" added Isabel quietly, Alex squeezed her hand and she smiled at him thankful for the gesture

"Good, now what can we do?"

"Work together" whispered Tess nervously, she felt a bit self concious without Zan being there to give his support and back her up "If we get all the..." she glanced briefly round the café before continuing "people like us together here then we'll have a better chance. Langley was around on Antar, he knows how Kivar acted to get where he is. His input would be highly important"

"Very good" the young Queen smiled at the blonde girl who sighed with relief "Has Courtney or Topolski contacted us?"

"Speak of the devil" Tommy said pointing to the door as Courtney came in wearing a black trouser-suit. She came up carrying a large briefcase and nodded to the King and Queen before grabbing a chair and joining them.

"Majesties" she greeted them "Agent Topolski sends her regards and apologies that she wasn't able to make this meeting. She's meeting with President Obama today to alert him of the coming situation"

"You have news?" asked Kyle before sipping his coffee

"Yes, I was just getting to that. The Special Unit managed to capture and interrogate Nicholas and Greer... Greer unfortunately died during interrogation but he did manage to tell us a great deal before he passed away. Nicholas however is refusing to talk; we've tried everything"

"Nicholas is a liability"

"Yes, I think it would be wise if he were disposed of. He's dangerous and it's risky allowing him to live" Max said giving the order and Courtney just nodded her understanding of the situation "Michael, Maria? Do you have any ideas or... orders for Courtney?" the two of them looked at each other before nodding

"I want to know what the information was that Greer told you. We can use this to our advantage"

"Kivar had kept in touch with both Greer and Nicholas, he's sending ships to every major city in America; but he plans to make Roswell his base of operations. He's planning to build a base in the desert, also he's sending soldiers through the wormhole technology he's developed. We have the location for that"

"Good" Michael nodded "I want as many able bodied men and women from the Unit to patrol Roswell; they should all be educated on how to kill skins..."

"What about that thing? The trithium amplicator? I remember that from Liz's memories... from when Brody was... injured" asked Maria "It isn't just Skins that Kivar's sending is it?"

"No" Courtney shook her head "Some of the soldiers are Antarian"

"Then can't we use the amplicator on them? If we can use it to take away their powers then surely that would give us the advantage"

"Do you know where it is?"

"Brody said that he bought it off some man in a junk shop. I think you should find Brody Davis first that search every unusual junk shop around him"

"That would take time that we don't really have" Adam pointed out tersely and Maria scowled at him

"If it gives us an advantage then it's worth trying"

"Stop" said Liz breaking up the growing argument before it started "You're both right, it would give us an advantage but searching for it is like looking for a needle in a haystack. I think the best thing to do is make one. There should be enough resources here on Earth to make several; yes that would still be time consuming but less so than trying to find that specific amplicator"

"Courtney, can you make one? Or do you know any skin or Antarian that can make it?"

"I know one or two" she said with a smile then she wrote it down in her notebook "Topolski should be contacting me tonight after she's met with the President. I'm staying in Roswell now until the war is over... I'm going to serve my King and Queen"

"Are you sure?" Liz asked the taller girl who just nodded

"I've been in this war for as long as I can remember. I'm a soldier and I'm ready to fight, to die if necessary, for what I believe in. I believe in what you're doing; the sacrifices you've made and are making. I belong here and Topolski understands my decision"

"We appreciate it" said Max with a smile as he linked fingers with his wife; they shared sad smiles that didn't go unnoticed by Kyle and Laurie

"Can I... say something? As an advisor?" asked Alex, Max and Liz just nodded waiting to hear what he was going to say "Well the skins priority target is here, which means we can't exactly evacuate the city otherwise they'll suspect. There will be loads of people caught in the crossfire, if we can't evacuate them then we'll need someone for them to go. I think that it would be best if we can find out the best shelters and do our best to board up the windows with material that the skins can't use their powers on"

"That could work, at the Unit it's designed with depleted uranium because we can't use our powers against it" Courtney explained "We could gut the Unit base here in New Mexico for it's depleted sheet metal and board up the places that could pass as shelters"

"That seems like a good idea but if we board up windows there will still be the walls that their powers can be used on. If they failed to get through the windows they'd most likely blast through the walls"

"Didn't think of that" mumbled Alex feeling a little silly now "But finding the places that are shelters would help"

"Well do you and Isabel want to do that? Find out the best ones and let us all now, that way we'll be able to get people into them when the fight starts and we can protect them" Laurie said trying to make his idea work. They were now starting to work as a team coming up with ideas and bouncing them off each other.

"Sure, we can do that" Isabel nodded her head "If we need to we can clear them out as much as possible"

"Finally, Adam, I want you to contact your fa... Kevin. I want him to come here, he's very important to the outcome of the war and we need him here in Roswell. I think that it's best if any of the agents working for him come to Roswell, Kal's agents as well... we need as many aliens supporting us here as possible. Courtney, any you know or can reach I want them all here by the weekend" said Liz, Max looked grim as the last few orders were given.

"Yes, your highness" she said finally before leaving Greer's information then returning back to her non-descript sedan and contacted the people she needed to.

"Laurie, can my wife and I talk with you in private?" Max asked as the others disbursed to do what they'd been assigned to do. Alex and Isabel headed to the library while Michael and Maria stayed at the booth with Kyle and Adam to read over Greer's information while Tess and Ava went back home to check on Zan who was still hiding out at their house.

"Sure, what is it?" she asked as he helped up his new wife and practically carried her into the back room, she sighed with relief as she sank down onto the old couch then she became serious

"We want your word that this will not leave the room" the brunette said from her spot on the couch, Laurie glanced between them and saw how serious and scared they were

"You have it, of course you have it... what is this about?" she questioned them

"We do know who is going to die in the war..."

"Oh my god. It's me isn't it? That's why you've brought me back here like this isn't it?" she gasped

"No, it's not" he said shaking his head "From what we know about the war we know that you, Kyle, Michael, Maria, Alex, Isabel, Ava, Adam, Tess, Zan and Courtney survive... we've brought you back here because we know that you've been asking questions and suspecting us of our... plan. You need to stop digging in this" she calmed down some but was still intrigued

"We asked you back here because you've become somewhat a protector to me over the past few weeks" explained Liz "Well that's not exactly true. You know how strong I am, how strong both Max and I are... why would I need someone to protect me?"

"Max wanted me to..."

"I know my wife can protect herself, I asked you partly for reassurance and partly because you are a protector. Just not to my wife; look Laurie if anything should happen to my wife or me then our child, our little Charlie would be defenceless. There will come a time when she will need you to protect her"

"As in there will be a time when you're not there to do it yourselves?" she whispered, the two looked at each other before looking back at her and nodded. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard "You're the ones who die aren't you?"

"You can't tell anyone. This is part of our plan, we accepted it a long time ago; what we need is for you to promise that if anything goes wrong I want you and Kyle to take Charlie and leave, hide... whatever. Just protect her and make sure she lives. If things do go wrong and everyone looses take Claudia and leave the planet. Go somewhere where no one can ever find her, can you promise us this?"

"Of course. Am I allowed to tell Kyle?" she asked finally with strong determination in her eyes

"Only if Tess and Ava have died" said Liz "They're two fixed points in the future, we've seen a future with them in it. If they die then that future will cease to exist, take our daughter and run"

"I understand" she said quietly then went back out to the café and rejoined the others.

Liz smiled at her new husband who scooped her up in his arms and carried her out the back door to the jeep.

"Let's go back to the flat. You can get all comfy in bed and I'll make diner and bring the TV into our room. We can have a nice normal night without anything weird happening"

"I love you" she replied before kissing him.

***

Kathleen Topolski was nervous, very nervous in fact, and it was that that she thought was ironic. She had seen things that no regular person could conceive... discovered secrets no one would ever guess and now she was nervous because she was about to meet an important man? Granted that this man was the one most influential men of her time but he was still a man. She had met alien kings and queens, worked along side beings with technology far advanced than their own

"He's ready to see you know" said the polite lady dressed formally, Topolski rose to her feet, sucked in a breath, smoothed down her outfit then followed the woman into the Oval Office.

"Special Agent Director Topolski, it's nice to have you here. What can I do for you?"

"Mr President, thank you for meeting with me. I'll get straight down to business shall I?" he gestured with his hand for her to sit down and she did "You are away that this government has several... classified agencies that focus on the protection of the American way of life and the way of life of every living thing on this planet"

"Yes, I'm well aware of them and your agency, Director Topolski. I'm assuming that you have a point with this, I am a very busy man"

"Yes sir, I'm aware of that, and very honoured you'd grant me time like this. I do have a point and it's this; next week we will be at war"

"At war? Who with?" he demanded as he moved to his phone, he called through the intercom and asked for his cabinet to be assembled

"This is difficult to explain"

"Well I'd like you to try, if we're going to be at war with someone then I would like to know who it is!"

"They're called the Skins"

"Skins? It's not a country?"

"No, it's a planet called Antar. The enemy coming to wipe us out is from outer space, I have all the information here. There are five planets in their constellation and they are divided between their Royal Monarchy and an usurper named Kivar" she handed him several files with all the data collected "Mr President, the Royal Family from Antar is here on Earth hiding out from their enemies; Kivar is bringing his war to Earth. The Royal Family are willing to make a treaty and add Earth into their alliance so that this planet will be protected by Antarian technology"

"Can't the Royal Family just go home? If they came here in the first place then they've put Earth at risk"

"They were sent here, their ship crashed here in 1947" she explained to him as he flipped through the notes "Even if they did return to Antar that wouldn't stop Kivar from destroying Earth just because we housed them. He's a very evil creature"

"I want to meet the Royal Family. If they're willing to meet and discuss a treaty for the survival of Earth then I want them brought here to discuss it face to face"

"Yes sir" she nodded her head in agreement

"Elizabeth doesn't seem like an alien name to me. Is she a... a daughter or changed her name to survive on Earth?"

"Elizabeth was born on Earth... she and King Zan have recently got married under Earth law. The Royal Family have been here for a long time and they've followed by our laws all this time"

"Are they in contact with you?"

"Yes"

"Then I want you to take Air Force One and bring them here. I will study this dossier on all the information you've amassed" she stood up and shook hands with him. She was leaving just as his advisers came in. The lady that ushered her into the room took her into another room and they began to make arrangements.

***

Liz scowled, she'd felt uncomfortable all morning; Max had sensed her discomfort and didn't want to leave her to go to school but she made him go. He had missed three days already with being on his honeymoon.

"Knock, knock!" called Laurie as she opened the door and came into the apartment

"I'm in the bedroom" Liz replied to her friend as the blonde came in; while many of the group were at school, the ones who weren't were busy doing their tasks. Courtney was contacting all the people she needed and was working on making several amplicators while Adam was contacting his father and Kal Langley and relaying the orders they needed to hear about getting all their contacts to come to Roswell.

"How are you doing? How is the princess?" asked Laurie, Ava had stayed home with Zan who was getting fed up of being house bound. She was helping him alter his appearance slightly so he could get out without being discovered; Topolski had pulled all of Pierce's agents out of Roswell but there was still a risk of someone calling him in.

"We're good, but I... grrr! I can't get comfortable!" she groaned irritated with how the pillows felt under her back. She thumped some of the pillows and feathers exploded everywhere which got her more annoyed

"Here, let me fix them" said Laurie with a smirk as she waved her hands over the pillows, they were repaired in an instant then Liz began wriggling down the bed "Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine I just... I need the bathroom" she wriggled to the edge of the bed then tried to pull herself up, she couldn't get to her feet until Laurie grabbed her hands and pulled her up so she was standing. With the help of her friend she got to her feet just in time for water to trickle down her pants to puddle on the floor "Great! Just great!"

"It's okay, it was an accident" Laurie said trying to console her friend who hadn't made it in time. Liz wrapped her arms around her stomach and shook her head

"No, that's not it. I thought I needed the bathroom... I was wrong"

"Wrong?" the blonde girl gasped

"Yes, Laurie, I need you to call an ambulance then call Max and tell him I'm going to the hospital" she said and the taller girl pulled out Kyle's cell phone that he'd let her borrow for emergencies while he was at school with the others.

*

Max was sat in class when his phone started ringing, he looked down at call id and saw that it was Kyle calling him

"Mr Evans, will you turn your phone off or I'll have to confiscate it"

"But Mr Steligman... it could be important" he replied, the teacher held out his hand for the phone but Max shook his head "I'll turn it off!" he switched it off then shoved it back in his pocket before glancing at Maria and Alex who were sat at the desk behind him. He mouthed the word Kyle to them before turning back to the lesson.

A few minutes later Maria's cell phone rang, she pulled it out just in time for Mr Steligman to confiscate it. Alex glanced round, quietly pulled his phone out of his pocket and switched it to silent just in time for it to ring. He moved his pad so it fell to the floor, he crouched down to pick up his pad and answer the phone

"Alex! Thank God! I've been trying to get through to someone! Liz! It's Liz! She's having the baby!" Laurie cried relieved that she'd managed to get through to someone

"WHAT!" shouted Alex as he stood up sharply

"The ambulance has arrived and they're taking her to the hospital. Get Max!"

"Mr Whitman! Hand over your phone!" Steligman ordered, Alex just blinked then handed his phone to Max

"It's Liz" he said sounding shocked, Maria glanced back and forth between the two of them wanting to know what was going on. As soon as Max pressed his ear to the phone Laurie explained everything

"What? What's going on?" Maria demanded, Mr Steligman had realised that something serious must have happened and was giving them some time to explain

"Liz is having the baby" Alex explained "That was Laurie, they're on their way to the hospital" Maria began quickly gathering stuff up and ordered Alex to do the same. Max had gone pale and was ready to bolt out of his chair.

"Alex, I'll drive Max to the hospital. I want you to pack up his things, tell the others and meet us there. Sorry Mr Steligman but we have to go, my little niece is ready to come into the world. Max, Max... give me the phone" she took the phone from him, tossed Alex her phone before grabbing Max's hand leading him from the class. Once outside he finally overcame the shock and the two of them hurried down the hall to the jeep. Alex was impressed with how quickly Maria had taken control but she was the female general so it shouldn't have been that surprising.

"Okay, okay. Everyone calm down, let's get back to science shall we?" said Mr Steligman as he excused Alex who had just finished gathering up Max's stuff and went in search of Michael, Isabel, Kyle and Tess.

*

Two hours later everyone including Zan turned up at the hospital to be around when the Princess was born. Max was sat on one side holding his wife's hand while Maria was sat on the other, she too was holding Liz's hand as she was going through her contractions.

In the waiting room the entire Royal Court, the Evans, the Parker's, Amy Deluca and Sheriff Valenti were waiting for any news Michael was pacing and Isabel and Alex had just come back carrying two trays of coffee between them which as passed round.

"Shouldn't there be a ceremony or something?" asked Michael rhetorically while he paced then he stopped and looked at the all people gathered sipping their coffee "I mean the Princess is about to be born"

"Michael, the fact that she's about to join the world is ceremony enough" Jeff said as he clapped him on the shoulder

"I just feel like I should be doing something" he said as he looked around

"I know, why don't you go and see if there's any news? I'm sure Maria would like to see you" suggested Nancy, he nodded and went off into the room just as the doors opened and the doctors wheeled her out

"What's happening?!" Michael demanded almost stopping them from moving her; Maria took him aside and let them continue

"They're taking her to the delivery room" she explained "Charlie's ready to come into the world"

"Oh God" gasped Michael, she pulled him into a hug

"They're both going to be fine. We know it" she whispered "Let's go for a walk"

The two of them walked down the corridor looking for an empty corridor where they could talk in peace.

Tess glanced at her boyfriend as he sat on the plastic orange chairs playing with his crutches; he looked completely different from the Zan she was starting to get to know. His hair was longer and slicked back in an unusual wave; his clothes were expensive looking but fitting him perfectly. He looked like a super model instead of someone hiding from the law

"Hey, how you doing?"

"Glad to be out" he replied "And a little excited; Charlie... technically she's my niece, family y'know. Are you okay?"

"I'm just glad that they let me be here" she confessed as she sat down next to him

"Yeah" he nodded a little tightly

"What? What is it?"

"I'm thinking of Rath and Lonnie, I know what they would have done to me if that time line had continued but they were all I had and I wish they could be here to witness this moment. I miss my sister and I miss my best friend. Being in this hospital reminds me of them..."

"Oh, god I didn't realise..."

"This is where we were when they came and took us away" he whispered looking round

"If you want to go then I'll come with you"

"No, no. I need to be here for this" he told her "It's like I've been waiting for this moment my entire life. I'm not missing it for the world; this one or the next" she put her hand over his that was resting on the handle on his crutch.

Laurie lay with her head in Kyle's lap waiting; they were all waiting and minutes passed by and then the Royal Court felt it. Since they were all connected with Max and Liz they felt a new addition as she took her first breath. Laurie sat up just as Maria came back in with Michael following her. Isabel was crying openly with a big smile on her face and Alex pulled her into his arms. Tess looked up at her twin sister and they grinned and began cheering, they were soon joined by the other girls who danced about in a circle excited by the feelings they were sensing!

Ten minutes later Max came out of the delivery room dressed in green scrubs carrying a pink bundle in his arms

"Everyone..." he got their attention "I would like you all to meet Princess Claudia Gabrielle Evans" everyone flocked round him and the grandparents cooed over her. They wanted their turns to hold them; none of them noticed the TV screwed to the wall in the corner changed to the President addressing the nation about contact with other planets.

TBC...


	27. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty Five**

Max smiled as she fixed her thin tiara; Courtney and Kal had explained how Royalty had dressed on Antar and they'd used their powers to replicate it as best they could. Liz had a thin band of undulating metal around her head with a single gem in the middle right over her forehead and she was wearing dark green robes. Once she had finished fiddling Max handed Claudia back to her and adjusted his clothing; he was wearing a shiny dark green suit with a similar tiara and the Antarian symbol over the left breast of his jacket. Both their eyes were pure black; Liz glanced down at her daughter and saw pure brownish/black eyes staring back up at her.

It was two days since she'd given birth and it had been one helluva couple of days! There had been some panic when the President announced that he had been contacted by the King and Queen of another planet. The next day he revealed their names and explained that they had been living on Earth for quite some time... the entire world had gone alien mad.

Word had been leaked out that King Zan and Queen Elizabeth and some of their Royal Court were meeting with the President on Saturday, which meant news crews and reporters were camped out outside the White House hoping to snap pictures of the 'aliens'.

The sleek black limo pulled up to the front entrance and Max got out followed by Liz, she carefully manoeuvred out of the car with Charlie in her arms then Michael, Maria, Alex, Isabel and Kal climbed out. Kal was in his original form and as soon as the photographers and reporters spotted him they began snapping up reels and reels of footage.

"This way" the assistant gestured leading them into the building. They followed her until they were in the waiting room right outside the Oval Office "Please, wait here. Your Highnesses"

Liz and her oldest friend cooed over the new arrival to the family until they were all called into the office.

President Obama was sat at his desk and across from him on the two couches were sat several of his highest advisers. He was surprised when several teenagers walked into the room in what appeared to be fancy dress, one of the girls was carrying a baby, at first he thought it was some big elaborate joke until he saw Kal.

"The Royal Court of Antar" said the assistant before she left the room. The President rose to his feet, came round the table and moved to stand in from of Kal

"You must be King Zan" he held out his hand to the alien and was surprised when they alien blinked at him, glanced at the teenage boy standing next to the girl with the baby before finally bursting out laughing. President Obama was surprised and he stepped back as some scary nightmares filled his head

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry" Kal apologised while trying to control his laughter; the mistake had even made Max smirk "I'm afraid you're mistaken. I am not King Zan"

"I am" said the tall dark haired teenager, it was the President's turn to be surprised

"But you're just a kid!" he couldn't help but gasp and instantly regretted it as soon as he'd said it

"I may look like a teenager but both me and my wife are in our mid forties" he explained "I think to save from confusion proper introduction is to be made" he bowed his head "As you now know I am King Zan" he put his arm around Liz with a smile "This is my wife Queen Elizabeth Evans. This is my sister Princess Vilandra, our advisor Alex Whitman and our two generals The Right General Rath and The Left General Maria Deluca, our protectors Nlkirol and Kjou and finally the newest edition to our family Princess Claudia"

"It's nice to meet you" he said still feeling like this was a big prank "And congratulations on your daughter"

"Thank you Mr President" Liz smiled "Would you like to hold her?" he blinked a little surprised

"Can I? Are you sure that's okay?"

"Just don't drop her" said Max with a smile as Liz carefully handed Charlie to the President

"She's beautiful" he commented. Charlie had a tuft of dark hair, a small nose and large black alien like eyes. She yawned which made the President smile "Hello there" he greeted her when she blinked open her eyes sleepily before snuggling back off to sleep. He handed her back to Liz who smiled down at her new baby girl "Please, all of you, feel free to sit down"

Max and Liz sat in the seats opposite the President's desk while Alex and Isabel sat down amongst the advisers and Michael, Maria, Kal and Kevin remained standing.

"Thank you" he replied as they sat down making themselves comfortable

"Special Agent Director Topolski said you wanted to discuss a treaty between Earth and your planet... planets. I read all the file of information she gave me a few days ago; it was quite interesting. But tell me, King Zan, what exactly do you want from us?"

"We want to live here in peace" he began before looking over at Liz, she nodded her head with understanding "We've lived here on Earth for a long time. We have made a home here, we have family..."

"Ah yes the Parkers, the Evans and the DuPree Family" he said as he moved some papers aside and briefly flicked over the dossiers on each of those families

"The memories we have of this planet are happy ones... this planet is our home and we'd do anything to protect the way of life we've come to love"

"Why do you want to stay here?" asked one of the advisers "Surely your planet is far more advanced than we are. Why choose Earth over... your home planet is called Antar, right? Why not go home?" Liz turned in her seat

"Because we were held prisoner there, tortured and raped. Kept in the dark and denied basic rights. If that's advanced then I'd rather die than spend a minute like that again. Kivar is an evil tyrant... much more cruel and evil than Adolph Hitler, he'd destroy Earth just because we were here, because we fought against him... we want to stay here and protect this way of life because it has become our own"

"My wife is right" Max nodded "We ask for your help in stopping in him"

"I don't think we should help you. You brought this war here, you should go back to Antar and take your chances" said the General advisor

"If we left we'd still loose and he would still destroy Earth just for the hell of it. If you agree to help us then we'll give you technology..."

"It said in the file that you know exactly how long this war will last, you've claimed that when it's over a golden age will dawn for Earth"

"Yes, with Kivar's defeat the world will be at peace like never before. People throughout the entire universe will lay down their weapons in honour of the end of this war; beings from throughout space will come to Earth. Technology and ways of life will be shared; humans will go into space and spread peace"

"That's a nice pipe dream" snapped the general advisor moodily "Mr President, I hope you don't believe them! This has to be a practical joke!"

"If there is a chance that..." he stopped when someone came into the room carrying a sheet of paper. He whispered something in the president's ear then handed him the paper before leaving quickly. Obama read the paper he'd just been given "Hubble has detected several spaceships at the edge of our solar system and they're moving very fast. This is real isn't it?"

"Yes, sir, it is"

"What are the terms of this treaty"

"We shall share technology to help you defeat him in return for us all to live here in peace and that goes for any peaceful creature from space. If anything should happen to my wife or I then I want Claudia to be made a Ward of Earth and raised by this family" he handed him a file "Also a week after the war has finished we want you to address the world and tell them a story"

"A story?"

"Yes, one of my followers who lives here on Earth will tell it to you. This is a file we have on him" he handed him the file then pulled out a flat sheet of metal "Can you agree to these terms?"

"If you help us defeat this Kivar then I find what you've asked for reasonable" he nodded. Max put his glowing hand over the sheet of odd coloured metal and the terms were engraved into it. He put his name and seal over it then handed it to his wife who did the same before she handed it to the man on the other side of the desk. He looked at it for a moment wondering how to sign it "How can I sign this?" Max rose to his feet and gestured to come to stand next to him

"May I?" Obama just nodded and Max came around the desk which made the security guards in the room jittery "Put your hand over the treaty" Max put his hand over the President's and with a soft glow the president of the united states of America's seal appeared on the treaty. Max went back round the desk and sat back down

"You do realise that we will have to tell the world about you, even more so than we already have" he pointed out and they all nodded

"We are all prepared for this" said Liz, behind her Michael cleared his throat loudly. Maria put her hand on his shoulder reassuringly trying to calm his fears. Soon the entire world would finally know for certain that aliens existed and that he was one of him; he wasn't sure how he would handle people looking at him differently. When Maria put her hand on his shoulder he looked down at her, she was human... or at least had been before Liz had altered her in that first connection after the shooting. He had always been alien but she had been changed; it was going to be much worse for her. All the people had known her to be human would be scared because she had been altered, they wouldn't understand her decision to be what she'd become and yet she was okay with it and trying to make _him_ feel better!

"Love you" he whispered then winked at her and she blushed glancing away with a smile on her face. He smirked when she squeezed his shoulder in response before letting her hand drop back down.

"I will address the nation and give out the brief details about who you all are to the political correspondents from each newspaper and network. Do you want to be present when I address the nation?"

"If it's all the same with you Mr President. We would like to go home, we have a lot to do before Monday" said Max with a smile as he helped his wife to her feet.

"I understand" he replied and he stood up to shake hands with them"You will be keeping in touch with us on any developments"

"Our Generals will work with your advisers with the information that they have gathered but we do hope that all of our court will be back in Roswell by Monday when the war starts"

"You haven't given us much time to be ready for this" commented the angry general who was sat on the couch

"We've only known about it recently ourselves and as soon as we found out we pretty much decided to come to you even knowing the danger it posed to ourselves" Isabel pointed out putting the general in his place "Mr President, sir, you've seen what happens to people who are different. We risked a lot coming to tell you this, we're still at risk from being attacked by people who are scared or frightened by us. All they're going to see is aliens; creatures that are monstrous and coming to destroy them! I just hope that you can convince the general public of Earth that we are on your side even though there are Antarians working with the enemy to wipe out humanity"

"I understand what you mean, Princess Vilandra" he said "I have seen how different is seen as evil... but from what I can see you have extended yourselves in peace. It's easy to see how similar you are to us... Antarians do appear to be very much like humanity. This Kivar does seem much like Hitler but that doesn't make you all like that, you can measure humanity both on it's positive and negative traits. Humanity has done evil atrocities but we've also done good... I can see that this is how you are as well"

"You're a very wise man" said Kevin as they packed up their things

"Thank you" he smiled under the compliment but shook it off "Your pictures will be included in the brief details I will send to the news stations. The entire world will know who you are and be able to recognise you"

"We're prepared for that, I'm sure that there will be some frightened people but by Monday everything will change"

"I still don't think we can trust them!" the general protested "This has to be a trick! They keep saying that everything will change come Monday like they're behind it!"

"He does have a point" another advisor commented

"I believe you from what I've seen but my advisers do make a good case and you understand that I must be cautious in making mistakes for the people"

"I understand" said Max "You want us to prove ourselves"

"If you can, more so than you have already, to me at least, it would put their minds at ease"

"Get Liz to show the nice general her life" Maria piped up suddenly, the guy had been pissing her off with his close minded attitude and it had been a turning point when Liz had showed them all her life and what she'd been through.

"Show?" the general repeated going pale

"We have telepathic abilities; I believe Topolski mentioned them in her reports?" said Liz as she handed Claudia to Max who carefully cradled her in his arms and starting cooing happily at her "I can show you memories of my life. That's if you're willing"

"Go ahead, I'm not afraid of some memories"

"I'd brace yourself if I were you" said Kal as Liz extended her hand and the general took it. She started with her earliest memory and came closer to the present moment. Everyone in the room watched the general's face as he was taken through her memories; they could see clearly the moment the memories got to her loosing everyone and being taken from Earth. They progressed into the torture and rape under Kivar's hands for ten long years and how they finally escaped and came back in time to Earth. By the time it was over the general was openly sobbing on his knees clutching at the coffee table

"How? How the hell did you survive that? How can you smile?" he demanded

"Because I have reason to. I'm here, my family are here... yes they aren't the people I knew but they have the makings of them and I love them. I... we... went through hell and it destroyed us but we making sure that no one else has to suffer"

"But you... you're going to..." he began as he realised what their plan is

"We know what we're doing" said Max coldly "We're ensuring our daughter's future"

"Alone?" he snapped "How could you do that to her?"

Michael and Maria were interested in what they were talking about; it was clear this was about the war and the future. The general had seen something about what they were going to do

"It's a needed sacrifice and we're both willing to make it" Liz said

"You're incredible beings; I would have honestly given up a long time ago if I were you. You have my support. They have proved themselves, they can be trusted" he explained to everyone in the room, Liz smiled then looked down at her daughter

"We should be getting back to our hotel. Our generals will share information and strategy with you and I hope you understand the discretion for the... task we'll have to do in the future"

"I understand" he nodded then fell silent when the others tried to hint and gesture for him to reveal it.

*

Back at the hotel Laurie and Kyle were waiting for them. Alex and Isabel sat themselves down in front of the TV to watch the revelations on each news program.

"Kevin... could we talk to you for a moment?" said Max as Liz carried Claudia into one of the suite bedrooms

"Sure, what is it?" he asked after he had followed his king into the suite bedroom

"We need your help to do something really important. We need to travel back in time"

"Back in time? Why? Why ask me? Why not Adam?"

"Adam is part of the immediate court; he's part of the family. You are a separate Antarian outside of that" Liz explained "Besides Adam has his own role in the future and if he knew of what we're about to ask you then everything would be compromised"

"We need you to take us back in time to Antar. You can travel through time and space because of your anomaly, right? You can take us back in time to Antar before the Royal Four were killed"

"Why do you want to go back to then?" Kevin asked quietly scared of the answer

"You'll see when we go. Will you take us?"

"If you want me to, as my King and Queen you have only to ask it" he replied with a small bow, Max nodded then opened the door again

"Laurie, could you come here for a sec?" he asked her, as soon as she was in the room he shut the doors and locked them with his powers. He grabbed a worn book than was sitting on the bed, held it close to his chest with his arm wrapped over it

"What's up?" she asked as she shoved her hands into the back of her jeans pockets. Liz walked over to her and carefully handed Charlie to her

"Look after her while we're gone"

"Gone?" she gasped as she looked up from the young princess in time to see Max and Liz take hold of Kevin's sleeves and disappear "Max? Liz? Kevin?! KYLE!" she screamed as Claudia started crying. Kyle tried to open the door but found it locked

"Laurie?" he could feel her worry rising. Kal came over and Alex and Isabel lost interest in what was happening on the TV "Laurie!"

"KYLE!" he heard her scream and he started banging on the door trying to open it. She slumped to the floor holding the baby girl in her arms; all she knew was that when something happened to Max and Liz that she would have to look after the Princess. Where had they gone? Were they dead?

"Laurie! Stand back! I'm going to blast it!" he called then threw up his hand and the wood splintered but didn't break "Kal, help me break down the door!"

The others came to help him while she sat on the floor cradling Claudia in her arms, she was openly crying because she couldn't sense Max and Liz like she could before; the others were too caught up in trying to break the door down. She didn't notice Max, Liz and Kevin reappear behind her in the exact same spot they'd left but this time both Kevin and Max had heavy beards and Liz's hair was several inches longer and all three of them were wearing traditional Antarian clothing. They could see the door splintering under the onslaught of the aliens powers and they quickly waved their hands over their clothes returning them to the clothes they had been wearing when they left.

The doors burst open and Kyle came rushing in, he stopped short when he saw Laurie sitting on the floor and the three of them standing behind her

"What's going on?" he asked, Liz brushed her hair back behind her ear then spotted Claudia. She knelt down and took her daughter from her friend and cuddled her in her arms, Laurie jumped when she saw Liz sitting there cooing over Claudia

"But you... what happened? Where did you go? I thought you were gone" she whispered "Why didn't you tell me you were coming back!" she shouted as she rose to her feet and grabbed Kyle's hand roughly, tears were streaming down her face

"In case we didn't" Max said simply, he waved his hand and fixed the doors

"Where the hell did you go? And don't give me that bullshit about not being able to tell us! I want to know why you just scared the crap out of me and made me think you were... that you were... that you were dead!"

"We travelled back in time to Antar. We had something to do, it was a present for Claudia"

"Then where is it?" asked Kyle, he knew something more was going on "I think my wife deserves an explanation!"

"Wife?" Laurie gasped softly getting his attention

"If it's all the same you can continue this argument without me. I'm going to find my son and spend time with him" Kevin said coldly. He glared at his King and Queen

"Kevin? What's wrong?" asked Alex something was definitely wrong with all this

"They aren't who I thought they were. They're cowards and I'm disgusted to say that I'm the same species as them" he didn't look up as he was speaking "Whoever you knew Max and Liz to be then consider them dead. They died a long time ago... these... things that you see in front of you are manipulative evil monsters. I hope that they die during the war"

"Max, what is he talking about?" Isabel demanded "How can he say such a thing?"

"That isn't your brother" he shouted angrily "And... God! I'm bound to him! To the both of them!"

"Kjou... I'm the same person you met and helped on Antar. It will all be proved in the end and you'll be the one proud to tell our story"

"I doubt it" he said as he rubbed his fully grown beard then left the room.

"How can you not be who you say you are? We've all connected with you" pointed out Isabel as she crossed her arms "You're keeping secrets"

"Necessary ones" Liz said pleading trying to make them understand "You'll all know everything a month after the war has ended. That we promise you but for now... I want to spend some time with my daughter and husband before we go back to Roswell"

Kyle helped Laurie from their room and took her out of the suite and down the hall to their room. Alex and Isabel went back to the TV and Kal wandered off to explore the city in his human form, all of them separated but they each had the same burden on their minds.

TBC...


	28. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty Six**

It took a while for him to hike to the cave, he'd been coming out every day for the past month in case they were there but so far they hadn't been born. The war had been raging on for the past eleven and a half months; the Royal Court of Antar had been working closely with the United States Military in keeping earth safe. The enemy Antarian and Skin forces had attacked and been beat back, it was the exactly same effect that the forces fighting to keep humanity alive had experienced, neither side had won the upper hand and kept it. They were at a stale mate and had been for the past two months, it seemed that that was going to drag on for many months to come.

River Dog reached the edge of the cave and lit a torch before heading inside, he headed deep into the rocky cave past the message Nasero had left the Royal Four a long time ago, so far in that the path sloped downwards towards were the two pods were housed. When he got there he was so surprised to find both pods cracked open and empty that he almost dropped the torch

"Matthew? Lilith!" he cried looking round for his young charges, had the enemy found them and taken them away? He swung the torch around and sighed with relief when he saw them standing there naked as the day they were born, he chuckled to himself as he realised that today was the day that they were born

"River Dog" said Lilith slowly

"River Dog" Matthew repeated, the older man felt such a pride as his name was spoken as their first words

"Come, young ones, you need clothes. My cabin is half a mile away... we can contact the King and Queen there. They know what must be done now that you're both in the world" he ushered his two charges out of the cave and the three of them trekked hard and fast to River Dog's cabin.

*

The majority of Roswell had been evacuated not long after the war started, only able bodied men stayed behind to fight with the armed forces that swarmed into the town to combat anything that Kivar would send down. A lot of the soldiers were surprised that the alien Royal Court had remained here in Roswell with their parents and fought along side them, saved their lives more than a few times.

Off Main Street in a small but homey apartment there was an official meeting taking place; the Royal Court of Antar had assembled and they were strategising and making plans... or at least trying to.

"Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" cried the little toddler as she scampered forwards as best she could on her two pudgy legs. She reached her destination, bumped into a leg before falling down on her diaper covered bottom with a whoosh of breathe and threw her arms upward "Da! Da! Da!" she demanded desperately. The amber eyed man she was begging for looked down at her with a smile

"Who managed to get away from her mother" he chuckled as he picked up his daughter, Liz had chased after her but knew that it was futile in separating the two. Claudia was in awe of her daddy and Max was absolutely besotted with his baby girl

"Not to be a interruption or anything here, Max, but we are at war. Could we get back to the meeting" Maria pointed out as she spread the data her team had gathered during their covert intel missions. Laurie promptly came from the kitchen and took Charlie from her friend and held her in her arms so he could get back to the meeting

"Yes, sorry... what have you got Maria?"

"From the plans we know that Kivar has been building something. We believe that he finished it a few days ago and it's been attached to the mother ship, now from the agents who went in we've found out that it's called an Ion Cannon"

"The Cannon!" gasped Liz from the doorway, suddenly the phone rang and she glanced at Max before walking quickly over to Laurie and took hold of her daughter protecting her within her arms

"What? What is it?" asked Isabel "You know about the cannon. How?"

"This is it" whispered Max as his eyes filled up with tears "The war could very well be over tonight"

Kyle picked up the phone before the two aliens could get it, they'd kept enough secrets from their court, in his opinion

"Hello? Who is this?"

"This is River Dog, is Max or Liz there?" he asked, Kyle blinked in surprise then glanced over to Liz and Max who were now stood together with their arms around each other

"River Dog?" he repeated before holding the phone out to them. Liz took it from him and put it to her ear

"Yes, River Dog" she greeted him

"Liz! Matthew and Lilith have been born, we're at my cabin but we can be the Pod Chamber in half an hour"

"Okay. We'll be there" she replied then hung up. The group was waiting, they were hoping that now they would finally get some answers "Kivar is planning to fire that Ion Cannon, if he does the only thing we'd be grateful for is the fact that we're not around to watch him take ultimate control of the Universe"

"What are we going to do?" asked Tess as she slid into Zan's arms where she felt a bit safer

"Fight back, it's what we've been doing all along" Courtney said proudly and Max nodded

"She's right. We fight back and we win... the only thing that can stand up to an Ion Cannon is the Granolith. Laurie, Kevin? Will you both get ready to come with us? The four of us will go to the Pod Chamber" the two of them began to get their coats together against the cold weather of night.

"What about the rest of us?" Kyle demanded a little irked that he wasn't including in this and with the people that were to be left behind the feeling was more than mutual

"You need to stay here, do your jobs and deal with the fallout. The nations of the world will want to know what's going on when Kivar is finally taken out, it's all happening tonight. If we do this then the war will be over by the time the sun comes up"

"Really?" whispered Tess, she and her boyfriend linked fingers over her small bump where her little girl was growing "Rose will be born free"

"We're ready" said Kevin as he stood near the door. Liz put Charlie's little coat and hat on her to make sure she was warm enough to go outside.

Max looked round his rag tag bunch of soldiers, they were still kids really, and they should have never had to fight this. He looked at his sister and oldest friend, they would miss him and Liz... they all would. He bit his lip from crying as he linked fingers with Liz and the five of them headed down to the jeep.

Kevin drove with Laurie rode shotgun while Max, Liz and Claudia were sat in the back, Liz took one last look up at the apartment that had been her home for the past year and all her friends and family inside it

"Goodbye" she whispered as the jeep sped off along the road heading to the Pod Chamber.

***

"Max? Liz?" Laurie demanded as Claudia was handed to her "This is it isn't it?"

"Yes it is. Look after her won't you... until the Dr Coppers' come" she told her friend then hugged her. Max took his turn hugging her then ran his hand over his daughter's head before going off to speak to Kevin. Liz kissed Charlie's cheek then helped the two of them into the back of the jeep.

"What should I say happened here?" asked Kevin

"Tell them that we activated the Granolith to stop Kivar from firing the Ion Cannon and the Pod Chamber exploded, which is what's going to happen"

"But you'll be killed!"

"We know. We both accepted that a long time ago" she stated as she came over "A golden age will dawn from our actions and that is the world our baby will grow up in"

"But..."

"No buts Kjou..." he interrupted him "I have one last order to give you. Make it up with your son, all Adam wanted to know was his real father and you need to be there to see your grandchildren grow up. They are going to be a _very_ important bunch of people. That's it, no more orders now... you're a free man. Go on, you better take them back into Roswell, we're not exactly sure how powerful the blast will be" he nodded then walked back to the jeep and got in the driver seat, started the engine and drove back to the city.

"Ready?" Liz asked as she sucked in a breath and linked fingers with her husband, he nodded quietly and the two of them walked to the base of the Pod Chamber were River Dog, Matthew and Lilith were waiting. The five of them climbed the mountain and went into the chamber. Several miles above them Kivar began the program for the Ion Cannon to gather energy, it would take twenty minutes to half an hour before it could fire.

Twenty five minutes later the majority of the South West of America could see the energy reaching it's final build up before it fired in five minutes, below the enemy ship Kjou was just arriving back at the apartment when the Pod Chamber and Granolith Chamber exploded. The entire Rock Formation blew apart with the force of the blast the Granolith sent out killing all the people inside.

*

Isabel stood up when Kevin and Laurie returned, she strained her neck trying to see behind them for her brother and sister in law but they weren't there. Laurie was crying

"Laurie?" Kyle whispered as he went over to her and Claudia who was full of eyes with all the people around, he pulled the two of them into his arms and held them.

"Where is my brother?" demanded Isabel as she put her hands on her hips then they all heard the explosion, all the windows in the city shattered under the force and the Royal Court felt the death of their King and Queen.

"NO!" roared Michael as they realised what their friends had done. Isabel screamed at the aloneness that speared through her and Alex grabbed her before she passed out.

"They gave their lives to save us all" explained Kevin. Alex laid his girlfriend down on the couch then charged the alien bodyguard

"You bastard! You were supposed to protect them!" he roared hitting him repeatedly until Adam and Zan managed to drag him off. Maria was sobbing desperately in the corner holding her stomach while Michael just stood there in disbelief.

***

"My fellow Americans, I address you today with a message of freedom. Three weeks ago three people sacrificed their lives to save Earth. The leader of the enemy forces was preparing to fire a weapon known as an Ion Cannon to destroy Earth; King Zan, Queen Elizabeth and a Native American man named River Dog gave their lives to use technology from their home world, Antar, to stop him. The war is over and the enemy forces have surrendered" President Obama announced. Laurie switched off the TV then tossed the remote onto the coffee table before glancing at her God daughter who was sleeping soundly next to her.

Claudia had done nothing but cry her eyes out every second that she was awake; she had sensed her parents death and protested with tears. In fact she usually cried so much that she would fall asleep and that was what had happened ten minutes ago.

Michael, Isabel, Maria and Alex had gone out to the Pod Chamber with Valenti and the skeleton ambulance paramedics crew to see if Max and Liz were alive but all they found was rubble and the remains. They were surprised to find that River Dog had been in the Chamber when it had exploded. A few days after that, Roswell was declared safe and the people who had been evacuated returned to their homes and now there was this address.

Maria pushed through the swing door of the CrashDown into the back room and Laurie gestured for her to be silent then pointed to the sleeping princess

"How is she?" she asked quietly, none of them could get over loosing their two friends but they were doing all they could to block out the fact they were gone

"I think she's sleeping a bit better" she replied in a whisper, Laurie had pretty much taken over looking after the princess and was moody when it came to others taking her for a few hours. Max and Liz had entrusted their daughter to her, not anyone else, until the Dr Coppers' came. Whoever the Dr Coppers' were "She still cries herself to sleep but she's stopped sniffling in her sleep"

"That's good" Maria nodded then heard the bell ringing in the main room signalling more customers, she gave a small smile then rubbed Laurie's shoulder before going back out. The more customers she had the more people she could use to keep her mind off loosing her two best friends. Sometimes it really got to her and she felt like she couldn't go on but other days they were on the edge of her consciousness and she would do a good days work.

"Sì! Sono qui! Sono qui! Sono qui! Sono in America!" shouted the excited little boy as he run into the café

"Il rame di Giacomo Mikhail ritorna qui ora! Che cosa hanno lo ho detto circa lo scolo come quello?!" shouted a red haired woman chasing after her son. Maria raised a brow at the two people talking in Italian

"Welcome to the CrashDown, my name is Maria... do you speak English"

"Sì... I mean yes. It has been a long time since I spoke English" said the lady, she guessed that the red haired woman was in her early thirties and the little boy was about five years old

"Table or booth"

"A booth, per favore. My marito is going to be joining us"

"Marito?" Maria repeated, she knew Spanish but Italian was beyond her

"Ah, husband. My husband Matt" she explained as Maria led her to a booth, the blonde woman was surprised to see tourists from so far away. Yes a lot of people had come to see the famous town were Max and Liz Evans had saved everyone but the little Italian family had come the farthest so far. The two of them sat down while Maria went to get them glasses of water while they looked over their menus; the café rush wasn't that busy since it was fairly early in the morning

"Mama, non posso capire che cosa dice! Ho fame!" the little boy announced as he held up his menu. The bell over the door jingled as a tall man with dirty blonde hair and bright green eyes entered he looked around then headed to the booth then kissed the red hair and ruffled the boy's hair.

Maria walked politely over and stood politely with her order pad and pencil ready to take their orders, she plastered on a smile

"Are you ready to order?"

"Sì..." said the man "I would like the... uhh. Can I just have a hamburger and fries?"

"Papà? Che cosa state andando mangiare?" the little boy asked

"Sto andando avere un hamburger e patatine fritte" he replied then the boy bounced in his seat

"Voglio quello anche!" he put his menu down while still bouncing until his mother stopped him with a warning look. Maria looked at them waiting for them to tell her what the boy wanted

"I'm sorry, I don't speak Italian... what did your son want?"

"He is having the same as me" said the man, he glanced at his wife who just nodded "In fact we'll all have the same" he explained as the red head gathered up the menus and handed them back to her

"Coming right up" she said as she wrote it down "So are you tourists?"

"No, no... we are coming here from Italy. We are... uhh... we were asked to come here by the President. We are planning to foster a little girl who lost her parents" explained the lady and Maria dropped her order pad

"What?" she whispered as her eyes filled with tears

"The President asked us to come to America, he told us that her parents had asked for us to care for their daughter in their will. Which is strange because we never met them and are no related to them"

"Get out" Maria said then grabbed hold of them trying to pull them from the booth "Get out! Get out!" she screamed. The little boy began to cry and scooted into his mother's arms. Maria's shouting reaching the back room and woke Claudia up who promptly started crying. Laurie picked up the little princess and marched into the diner intent on telling off Maria for waking Charlie up.

"Stop it! Let go of me!" ordered the man

"You are not going to take her away! We're her family! You are not taking my niece away to Italy!"

"We are not taking anyone. We plan to live here" said the lady who was trying to calm down her son

"What's going on?" Laurie asked realising something bigger was going on, Maria didn't freak out unless there was a big reason behind it. With all the commotion none of them had noticed that Charlie wasn't crying but staring intently at the three foreigners

"These people want to take Claudia away!" she yelled, Laurie tightened her grip on her God-daughter and took a step back like they could really do it

"Who are they?" she whispered then blinked and looked down at Charlie who was watching them and not crying

"Who are you?"

"My name is Matthew Copper, this is my wife Lilith and our Giacomo" said Matthew, Laurie turned to stare at them in disbelief when she heard the last name

"Copper? Are you a doctor? Are you both doctors?"

"Yes... how did you know?" asked Lilith as she rose from the booth and took a step towards Laurie only to have her path blocked by Maria

"Because Max and Liz, before they died, they told me to watch out for you"

"I knew they were dangerous!" spat Maria angrily

"No, 'Ria, they're not. They told me that they'd look after her; she may have become a Ward of Earth but these people in front of you are going to be her new parents"

"No! They're strangers! We're her family!"

"Maria... look at her! She's not crying!" Laurie shouted, the few patrons of the café had watched the whole argument with interest. Maria glanced over her shoulder and saw that it was true that the little toddler wasn't crying, she'd cried every day since they had died.

"I know the social worker assigned to our case should be here but... I hold her?" asked Lilith quietly, Giacomo climbed from the booth and crept past Maria who was standing guard, he tugged on Laurie's pants

"Signora graziosa? È quella la mia sorella? È la mia piccola sorella?" he asked her and Matthew chuckled

"What is he saying?" demanded Maria "That's it I'm calling the others and Max and Liz's parents... and Valenti. I'm not letting this happen!"

"You found the bird that fell out of the nest" Lilith called and Matthew glared at her shocked and angry. The blonde waitress turned round and stared at the red head

"What did you say?"

"Lilith! Che cosa voi pensano state facendo! Non sono permessi conoscere chi siamo!"

"Non sapranno. Ci non dirò loro che, ma devono convincerli a fidarseli di!" she replied, the two blondes exchanged glances and realised that there was more than met the eye

"The only person who could know that..." she whispered

"Died" said Matthew firmly "We talk about this in private?"

"Mama! Ho fame!" said Giacomo. Laurie told Maria to put their order on since they were hungry and call the others before ushering the little family into the back room.

Now that Maria was busy doing something, she could talk to the two strangers freely and find out what was going on

"Are you Max and Liz?"

"No. We are not" said Matthew "They died. We are the present for Claudia but the world cannot know that we are aliens too"

"You're alien?" she gasped, Giacomo was busy playing with Claudia who recognised the boy before her even though she had never met him

"Yes, we are the present that Max and Liz went back in time to make"

"They made you?"

"Yes. When they went back in time to Antar they got help from geneticists who created us so there would be parental figures around to look after Claudia after Max and Liz died"

"They knew... all that time they knew that they were going to die"

"Please do not tell the others, if this gets out then it might compromise the future that they wanted Charlie to have" begged Matthew

"I won't tell. You have my word" she said, she had no idea what she was doing promising them such a thing but she felt like she could trust them inherently.

"They're on their way" said Maria as she came back into the room.

TBC...


	29. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"Are you ready to go?" asked Deech as he helped his new wife up off the ground in front of the statues adorned with flowers

"Yes" she said "I wish I could have met them, but I know what they did for me"

"Everyone knows. That's why I'm here with you" he replied as he wrapped an arm around her back and led her back to the car

"I know" she whispered sadly "It's just I wish I knew who my parents were. I would have given anything to grow up with them around"

"What about the Coppers?"

"Matthew and Lilith? Oh I love them for taking me in and becoming my family and I love the fact that I have a big brother to look out for me but it's not the same. I've always wanted my mommy and daddy. I think it's even worse with me being pregnant, they're not going to see William being born"

"You don't think it's Antarian hormones playing havoc with your emotions do you?" he asked as he started the car and headed back into town so they could finish packing. Charlie glared angrily at her husband and he swallowed hard; her powers were lethal on their own and when she was pissed off he had to pretty much run to the hills. Once when they were dating and he'd screwed up royally she had used her powers to make a dog house and made him sleep in it outside the house. After that he'd placated her with a bouquet of flowers from every flower shop in town, she had eventually forgiven him

"Hm" she grunted as they reached the ship that her cousins had made for them, it was designed with Granolith technology "I guess I'll feel better when we get to the Dorado Constellation and I can give birth to our son on your home world"

"Okay then well let's go" he led her to the ship were everyone was waiting to say goodbye. Maria was standing there at the fore front of the little crowd and as soon as Charlie was out of the car she pulled her into a hug

"Auntie Maria! I'm going to miss you!"

"I'll miss you too, you be sure to come back and visit us old folks"

"Hey, speak for yourself! I'm still as young as I was twenty years ago!" Michael protested as he put his arm around his wife's shoulders

"With more than a few grey hairs?" Claudia chuckled playfully making him scowl but it didn't reach his eyes

"I'm going to miss you, little Charlie, I remember when you were half pint and always following me around"

"I'll miss you too uncle Michael" she replied as he pulled her into a hug

"I'm very proud of you, and I know Max and Liz would be proud of you too. You're a good daughter" he whispered into her ear and she began to tear up.

"Bye" she said finally before turning to her cousins "Thank you for the space ship"

"Eh it wasn't that hard to build" said Serina, Jacob glared at his big sister and just shook his head

"Gonna miss you Chaaarlieee" said Benji as he stepped forward with his little sister next to him and held out a worn weathered book "This is from all of us. I'm sorry mom and dad couldn't make it today... they wanted to know that they're sorry and they're really going to miss you. Open it when you get on the ship"

"I will do" she nodded then hugged Benji and Beth before turning to her uncle Kyle and auntie Laurie who were standing there with Tess, Zan, Ava, Adam and all there children.

"You take care and come back to visit us"

"I will..." she said seriously as Laurie started crying

"And I want to see my great nephew as well..." added Zan "He's going to be a strong kid... he's an Evans"

"Sorry, Claudia, but we have to get going..." said Deech

"But Matthew and Lilith aren't here yet" she told him then they all saw a motorbike coming towards them kicking up dust. Giacomo Copper almost crashed as he gunned the engine and jumped off the bike quickly to come running over "Where's mom and dad?" Claudia asked, he shook his head sadly

"They couldn't make it... so I came. I don't know what they're playing at! They said they were busy giving you one last surprise but it doesn't look like they'd get it here in time"

"So they're not coming?" she asked as her husband wrapped his arm around her shoulder protectively

"I'm sorry baby sister" he answered her as she began to cry. He pulled her into a hug then carefully handed her back into the arms of Deech who took her towards the ship known as G Mack 2 and used the crystal to go inside. It was designed so that there was a difference in quantum space, meant that it was compact and streamlined on the outside but built like a mansion on the inside. Rose, Serina and David had created several new scientific laws by making it and the government wanted to get their hands on it but they firmly said no because it was a wedding present for their cousin.

He laid his wife down on the bed in the bedroom then went to the main control room to start it up, leave the atmosphere then put it on automatic pilot to his home world. Once autopilot was synchronised he hurried to the bedroom to find his beautiful wife fast asleep; she'd cried herself to sleep.

"Oh Claudia" he sighed as he lay down next to her; as an empathic humanoid he could feel her pain and it was devastating knowing that the people she wanted to say goodbye to the most had failed to be there.

"Deech" she whispered in her sleep, he snuggled closer to her and her fingers tightened around his clothing.

"I love you"

"Love you" she murmured back that made him smile. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

***

Claudia was in awe at the world before her, she couldn't imagine how such a primitive seeming bunch of people who lived on this forest planet could come up with technology that had mastered inter stellar travel!

"It's beautiful" she said as G Mach 2 landed near a vast shining lake

"I am glad that you like my home. Come, let's go... my parents must be at the temple waiting for our arrival"

"Will they like me?" she asked grabbing his arm and stopping him from using the crystal to beam them out

"Everyone knows of you Princess Claudia, they adore all you've done for the universe"

"Yeah everyone knows I've done a lot of universal charity work but will they like me for me, not the stuff I've done"

"They will like you because you have done that stuff, they know that anyone who has a big heart to give of themselves like you have is a wonderful person and I'm sure that they would be honoured to have you as a daughter in law"

"Our son" she whispered

"They will love him too" then he blinked, his empathy picking up the twinges of pain she was feeling "Our son! He's is coming!"

"Send a signal... ohhh ahhhhh! Get them to come help us!" she screamed as a painful contraction hit and her waters broke

"I'll go to the control room" he cried as he lowered her to the floor

"Deech Harza! If you leave me here alone I swear to God I'll... grrrraaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!" she screamed, he rushed off to send the signal then came back and helped deliver William.

Two hours later after much yelling and screaming Claudia was propped against the wall with several pillows behind her holding her newborn baby son while Deech sat beside her

"He's beautiful"

"Uncle Zan was right... he's going to be such a good kid. Look, he has your nose!" she cooed then he looked away

"Love, my parents are here and they brought medical help"

"Go. Go let them in" she said stroked the whitish fluffy patch of hair her son had; he'd gotten that off his father "Little William, you are such a beautiful baby prince"

*

Deech was holding William in his arms while Claudia was holding two crystals in her hands and moving them around in intricate patterns in front of the holographic screen. They had spent several months in the Dorado Constellation and now they were returning home so the large Royal Court could meet the addition to the family.

"Deech! Come quickly! There's a ship coming! I think it's trying to dock with us" she gasped, he got up and hurried over as quickly as possible while carrying their son "Can you sense who they are?"

"No, their shields are powerful. The ship, it is like our ship"

"That's impossible, this ship was custom made. The only other ship that could come close to this one would be the original Granolith and it was destroyed when my parents died" she pointed out. The ship docked and a light filled the room, Claudia closed her eyes quickly and put up a shield against the intruders so she could protect her family

"It's okay" said the youngest intruder holding up his hands, Charlie instantly dropped her shield when she saw who it was

"Giacomo?" she looked at him in disbelief then looked to her foster parents who were stood behind him "What are you doing here?"

"We brought him" explained Lilith as she stepped forward "This is a surprise, for the both of you"

"Both of us?" Giacomo asked as she moved to stand next to his little sister

"Yes. You remember when Kjou, the bodyguard to King Zan told their story to the world?"

"Yeah, of course we know" said Deech stepping out from behind Claudia carrying their son, Lilith gasped then took a step forward but Matthew held her back

"We need to tell them the truth before..." he trailed off, she closed her eyes and nodded seriously

"Kjou didn't know the full story. He didn't know what really happened in the Granolith chamber when Max and Liz died"

"Mama? Papa? What... how could you know what happened? We were living in Italy when the King and Queen sacrificed themselves to save Earth"

"Yes" nodded Matthew "We were. But before we lived in Italy we came from America... from Roswell"

"Roswell? You were born in the Great City?!" Deech gasped in surprise then gasped when he felt them "You are the King and Queen"

"What?!" gasped Giacomo and Claudia in disbelief

"When we went to the Granolith... River Dog was waiting with our clones Matthew and Lilith Copper. River Dog chose their names but we chose their last name; we decided Copper because they were our copies" he explained then waved his hand over his face turning his features back to that of Max Evans while Lilith did the same revealing Liz Evans

"So... who died? If you're clones then... I'm confused" Giacomo shook his head, this was hard for him to hear. All this time he had been a prince... and an alien "I'm... an alien. I'm Antarian aren't I? Why did you ever tell me? Why didn't I show any powers?"

"We have no idea why you didn't. By all accounts you should be as strong as your sister... we're getting off the subject. When we were in the Granolith Chamber the ones we had planned to send back, Matthew and Lilith, decided that they didn't want to go back. Our plan was to send them back so that you would have people to look after you, we never imagined the sacrifice they would give us... we'll show you what they did" said Liz holding out her hand. They all joined hands and a connection was formed between them all, Deech sat out of it because he was holding William and he could see clearly what was being shown through his empathy

_A strong violent wind was blowing around the Granolith chamber as the five of them stood there. Max and Liz were crying and clinging to each other as they told Matthew and Lilith to get ready to go back into the past _

"_We cannot go" said Lilith as she moved to River Dog "We are not Claudia's parents, we could never be her parents. We are not parents" _

"_We are children. We are River Dog's children" he added "We want to stay here. You are her parents, you should go back in time" _

"_But we need to stay here to activate the Granolith to stop Kivar from destroying Earth" cried Liz _

"_Why? It should respond to their DNA since they are your clones" said River Dog "I would be honoured to stay behind with my children" _

"_But you'll die" _

"_I will be with my family... you of all people should understand that, besides I read that journal. Doesn't there need to be bodies so they know that you died?" he pointed out _

"_We will become Max and Liz for you and you will become us... you shall be Matthew and Lilith. Valenti will have our bodies tested and since we're your clones he will believe you both died. The new golden age will dawn and you can be with your daughter when the time is safe" he told them _

"_The only thing is that you cannot look like yourselves, in order for this all to work they have to believe that Max and Liz are dead. If you show up after the war looking like you do then everything would have been for nothing" the two of them nodded then used their powers to change their features _

"_I want to stay to make sure that the Granolith is about to blast Kivar to kingdom come before we leave" _

"_Then let's do it" said Matthew as the four of them reached out to the face of the Granolith and River Dog stood back and watched. The energy began to build up and then Max and Liz went back in time. _

"They took our names and they all died together as a family. We were sent back in time to the only co-ordinates the Granolith had and we ended up on my balcony. We both knew that we couldn't stay in America so we picked a country and left, it didn't take us long to learn Italian and then we had you, son, you were totally unexpected but we adored you. Technically you became the first born so you're the one who could rule Antar if you ever wanted to"

"No, I don't. Why didn't you tell me? Did the Royal Court know?"

"No one knew but us and the three people who died that day in the Granolith Chamber. You're the only ones who know" he told them "Now that you know we can't stay in this present time"

"Why can't we?" he demanded of his parents angrily, Claudia was still in a state of shock

"Because if the universe knew that they were alive then everything that had been achieved would unravel. There would be no more peace, everything that they'd worked for would be broken and this Golden Age would cease to be"

"He's right"

"Then where are we going to go?"

"Our Granolith can take us back in time. We asked Serina, David and Rose to build it in secret; they don't know what it was for and by the time they figure it all out we'll be long gone"

"Gone where?" Claudia demanded "We can't leave, all our friends and family!"

"They're safe and happy, they'll live in peace and one day when we'll go back and tell them, swear them to secrecy and tell them everything. But for now we're a family... we need to go" she told her children and son in law

"We've programmed our Granolith to take us back in time. We'll live on the first planet in this constellation so we don't run the risk of meeting any of Deech's ancestors" said Max as he held up a small crystal and they all beamed to their Granolith ship.

"Are you all okay with this?" he asked his children, Giacomo nodded understanding what they had done by what he'd been shown but Charlie was hurt, very hurt, and she shook her head

"All this time, I told you how badly I wished I knew my parents and you never told me. You made me cry myself to sleep believing I was an orphan!"

"It was the only way, can you ever forgive us? We've been with you the entire time; all we did was for you to be happy and you are... aren't you? You have Deech and your... your son, aren't you happy with that?" Claudia stood there thinking about it and she nodded

"I am. I've always wished I knew you and now I have that chance to... let's go back in time" she agreed with their plan then looked at her husband "Are you okay with this?"

"To be with you? To be with my family, yes... I would follow you anywhere to be with you" he confessed and Liz smiled. She moved over to see her grandson and Max began to power up their ship so it would travel back in time.

*

They made their home on the First Planet; it took a while for them all to forgive what Max and Liz had done and the secrets they had kept but in the end they were happy. Giacomo fell in love with a native Doradorian and had three children with her.

A year before Max and Liz passed away they travelled back to Earth, they used their forms that they had when they had lived and raised Claudia and told their family and friends the truth before returning back to the planet they considered their home. The Universe developed and progressed under thousands of years of peace and in hindsight they had made a lot of mistakes but they wouldn't change any of it for the world... any world... because they were happy, their children were happy and that was all that mattered.

**The End**


End file.
